\ L».* / ■■# \ Itrue Religion delineated:, o R, Experimental Religion, As diflinguilhed from Formality on the one Hand, and Enthusiasm on the other, fet in a Scriptural and Rational Light. In Two DISCOURSE S, In which fome of the principal Errors both of the Arminians and Antinomi ans are confuted, the Foundation and Superftruflureof their different Schemes demolifhed, and the Truth as it is in JESUS, explained and proved. The whole adapted to the weakeft Capacities, and defigned for th^ Ellablilhment, Comfort and Quickening of the People of GOD. in thefc Evil Times. By Jofeph Bellamy^ A. M. Minifter of the Gofpel at Bethkm in Conne£licut. With a Preface by the Rev. Mr, Edwards. Ifai. XXX. 21. And thine "Ears Jhall hear aWordhehin^ thee, faying, this is the Way, nualk ye in it, n^hen ye turn to the right Hand, and nvhen ye turn to the left. Matth, vii. 13, 14. Enter ye in at the fir ait Gate ; for ivide is the Gate, and broad is the Way that leadeth to Dejlrufliony and many there he njohich go in thereat : Becaufe firait is the Gate, and narroruj is the Waj^ nnhich leadeth unto Life, and few there he that find it. BOSTON: Printed and So^ld b/ $, K n £ e i a n d, in Queen-Street, i 7 S ^' PREFACE. |5||c#HE Being of GOD Is reckon'dthe firft, greateft and moft funda- mental of all Things that are the ##### Objeds of Knowledge or Beliet And next to that muft be rcckon'd theNature of that Religion, which God requires of us, and muft be found in us, in order to our en- joying the Benefits of God's Favour : Or ra- ther this may be efteemed of like Importance with the other ; for it in like Manner concerns us to know how we may honour and pleafe God , and be accepted of Him, as it concerns us to know that he has a Being. This is a Point of infinite Confequence to every fingle Perfon ; each one having to do with God as his fupreme Judge, who will fix his eternal A 2 State, State, according as he finds him to be with or without true Religion." And this is alfo a Point that vaftly concerns the publick In- terefts of the Church of God. It is very apparent, that the Want of thoro' Diftindion in this Matter, thro' the Defect ei- ther of fufficient Difcerning or Care, has been the chief Thing that has obfcured, obftrudcd and brought to a Stand all remarkable Revi- vals of Religion, which have been lince the Beginning of the Reformation ; the very chief Reafon why the moil: hopeful and pro- mising Beginnings have never come to any more than Beginnings ; being nipt in the Bud, and foon followed with a great Increafc of Stupidity, corrupt Principles, a profane and atheiftical Spirit, and the Triumph of the open Enemies of Religion. And from hence, and from what has been fo evident fromTime to Time in thefe latter Ages of the Church, and from the fmall Acquaintance I have with the Hiftory qf preceding Times ; I can't but think, that if the Events which have appear'd from Age to Age, fhould be carefully exa- mined and confidered, it would appear that it has been thus in all Ages of the Chriftian Church from the Beginning. They C iii ] They therefore who bring any Addition of Light to this great Subjed, T^he Nature^ of true Religmi^ a?2d its DiJiinSlmi from all Count effeits^ lliould be accepted as doing the greateft poffible Service to the Church of God. And Attempts to this End ought not to be defpifed and difcouraged, under a No- tion that it is but Vanity and Arrogance . in fuch as are lately fprung up in an obfcure Part of the World, to pretend to add any Thing on this Subjedt, to the Informations we have long fince received from their Fa- thers, who have lived in former Times, in New-England, and more noted Coun- tries. We cannot fuppofe, that the Church of God is already poffefTed of all that Light, in Things of this Nature, that ever God intends to give it ; nor that all Sata?ts Lurk- ing-Places have already, been found out; And muft we let that grand Adverfary alone in his Devices, to enfnare & ruin the Souls of Men, and confound the Intereft of Religion amongft us ; without attempting to know any Thing further of his Wiles, than others have told us ; tho' we fee every Day the moft fatalEffeds of his hitherto unobferved Snares ; for Fear we fhall be guilty of Vanity or Want of Modefty, in attempting to difcern any Thing [ iv ] Thing that was not fully obferved by our Betters in former Times ? And that, what- ever pecuhar Opportunities God gives us, by Ipecial Dilpenfations of his Providence, to fee fome Things that were over-look'd by them ? The remarkable Things that have come to pafs in late Times, refpedting the State of Re- ligion, I think, will give every wife Obferver great Reafon to determine that the Counter- feits of the Grace of God's Spirit, are many more than have been generally taken Notice of heretofore ; and that therefore we ftand in great* Need of having the certain and diftinguifliing Nature and Marks of genuine Religion more clearly and diftindly fet forth than has been ufual ; fo that the Difference between that and every Thing that is fpurious may be more plainly and iurely difcern'd, and fafely determined. As Enquiries of this Nature are very im- portant and neceffary in Themfelves, fo they are what the prefent State of Religion in New-England, and other Parts of the Britip^ Domimo77s^ do in a peculiar Manner render neccffary at this Seafon ; and alfo do give peculiar Opportunity for Difcoveries be- yond [ V ] yond what has been for a long Time. Satan transforming himfelf into an Angel of Light, has fhewn him/elf in many of his Artifices more plainly than ordinary ; and given iis Opportunity to fee more clearly and exadlly the Difference between his Operations, and the faving Operations and Fruits of the Spirit of Chrift : And we fhould be much to Blame, if we did not improve fuch an Ad- vantage. The Author of the enfuing Treatife has not been negligent of thefe Opportunities. He has not been an unwary or undifcerning Obferver of Events that have occur'd, thefe ten Years paft. From the intimate Acquain- tance with him, which I have been favoured with for many Years, I have abundant Rea- fon to be fatisfied that what has governed him in this Publication, is no Vanity of Mind, no Affedlation to appear in the World as an Author, nor any Defire of Applaufe ; but a hearty Concern for the Glory of GOD, and the Kingdom and Intereft of his Lord and Mafter Jesus Christ ; And, that as to the main Things he here infifts on, as belonging to the diftinguifhing Nature and Effence of true Religion, he declares them, not only as [ vi ] as being fatisfied of them from a careful Con- fideration of important Fads (which he has had great Opportunity to obferve) and very clear Experience in his own Soul ; but the moft diligent Search of the holy Scriptures, and ftricS Examination ot the Nature of Things ; and that his Determinations con- cerning the Nature of genuine ReHgion, here exhibited to the World, have not been fettled and publiflied by him without long Conlideration, and maturely w^eighing all Objedlions which could be thought of, tak- ing all Opportunities to hear what could be faid by all Sorts of Perfons againft the Prin- ciples here laid down, from Time to Time converling freely and friendly with Gentle- men in the Anfiintan Scheme, having alfo had much Acquaintance, and frequent long Converfation with many of the People called Separatijfs^ their Preachers and others. And I cannot but exprefs my fincere Wifhes, that what is here written by this reverend and pious Author, may be taken Notice of, read without Prejudice, and tho- roughly confidered : As I v^erily believe, from my own Perufal, it will be found a Difcourfc w^herein the proper Effence and C vii ] diftinguifhing Nature of faving Religicii is deduced from the firfl: Principles of the Ora- cles of God, in a Manner tending to a orreat Increafe of Light in this infinitely impor- tant Subjed: ; difcovering Truth, and at the fame Time fhewing the Grounds of it j or fhewing what Things are true, and alfo why they are true ; manifefting the mutual De- pendance of the various Parts of the true Scheme of Religion, and alfo the Founda-^ tion of the Whole ; Things being reduced to their firfl Principles in fuch a Manner, that the Conneaiion and Reafon of Things, as well as their Agreement with the Word of God, may be eafily feen ; and the true Source of the dangerous Errors concerning the Terms of God's Favour and Qualifica- tions for Heaven, which are prevaiHng at this Day, is plainly difcovered ; fhewing their Falfhood at the very Foundation, and their Inconfiflence with the very firfl Principles of the Religion of the Bible. Such a Difcourfe as this is very feafonable at this Day, And altho' the Author (as he declares) has aim'd efpecially at the Benefit of Perfons of vulgar Capacity ; and fo has ftot laboured for fuch Ornaments of Stile and a a Lan- C viii 3 Language as might beft fuit the Gufl; of Men of polite Literature ; yet the Matter or Sub- fiance that is to be found in this Difcourfe, is what, I truft, will be very entertaining and profitable to every ferious and impartial Rea- der, whether learned or unlearned. Northampton, Auguji ^, 1750. Jonathan Edwards. w }cifyn^;0e^¥ "^/'i/ ^^pt'A.j y^<, The Author's PREFACE %%^^^E are deftgned^ by GOD our Maker ^ for an end- ^#€*^*# le[s Exiftence. In this frefent Life we juft tnter ^%^^$^ upo^ Beings and are in a State introducing to a #^C*## ^ever-ending Duration in another Worlds where we are to he for ever unfpeakably happy ^ or mife- rahky according to our prefent Conduct. This is dejignedfor a State of Probation ; and that^ for a State of Rewards and Punifliments. We are now upon Trials and God^s Eye is upon us every Moment ♦, and that Pi5fure of our Selves^ which we exhibit in our Condu^, the whole of it taken together^ will give our proper Chara5ler^ and determine our State for ever. "This being defigned for a State of "Trials God now means to try us, that our Condu5l under all the Trials of Life, may difcover what we be, and ripen us for the Day of Judgment ; when God will judge every Man according to his Works, and render to every one according to his Doings. He does not htend, in the Difpenfations of his Providence, to fuit Things tr> « State of Eafe and Enjoyment, which is what this Life is not defigned for ; hut to a State of Trial. He puts Men into trying Circwrif^ances of fet Purpofe, and as it were, contrives Methods to try them. One great End he has in View, is, that he may prove tkmy and biow what is in their Hearts. a a 2 lie ii The Author's PREFACE. He did not lead the Children of Ifrael direcfly from Egypt /^Canaan, but fir fi thro' the Red Sea, and then out into a JVildemefs^ where there was neither Water ^ nor Bread nor Flefh \ and made them wander there forty Tears^ that he might try them, and prove them, and know what was in their Hearts. Deut. 8.2. So when the Chriftian Religion was introduced into the Worlds it zvas not in fuch a Way as Men would have chofen^ but in a Manner fui ted to a State of Trial. "The Son of God did not coyne in outward Glory ^ but in the Form of a Servant ; not to reign as an earthly Prince^ but to die upon the Crofs : and his Apoftles made but a mean Ap- pearance in the Eyes of the World : and that Seel was every where fpoken againft^andperfecuted : and many were the Stum- bling-blocks of the limes. And thefe 'Things were to try the Temper of Mankind. — And when Chriflian Churches were ere^led by the indefatigable Labours of St. Paul afid others, that God might thoroughly try every Hearty he not only fuffered the wicked Wcrld to rife in Ams againft them, but alfo let Satan loofe, to transform himfelf into an Angel of Light, and, as it were, to infpire, and fend forth his Minifiers, trans- formed into the Apoftles of Chrift, to vent heretical Do^rines^ and foment Strife and Divifion. In the mean while, the fe cure and wicked IVorld looked on, pleafed, no doubt, to fee their Debates and Divi/ions, and glad they could have fuch a Handle againft, Chriftianity, 13 fo good a Flea to juftify their InfJelity. And God delighted to have Things under Circum- ftances fo perfectly well adapted to a State of Trial. He loved to try the Apoftles, to fee how they would be affecled and a5t •, when not only the World was in Arms againft them, but rriany of their own Converts turned to be their Enemies too, by the Influence of falfe Teachers. He loved to try private Chriftians, to fee how their Hearts would be affecled towards the Truths of the. Gofpel., and the true Minifters of Chrift, afid towards their tsinpcral Inter eft ; while the Truths of the Gof- pel were denied or perverted, and the true Minifters of Chrift dtfptfcd & ftigmatifcdy by Hereticks, and their temporal Inter eft expofed to the Rage of a wicked mercilefs World. And he loved ta try Hypocrites, to fee whether they would not renounce the Truth they pretended fo highly to value, a}fd become difaffe^ed towards The Author's PREFACE. iu toiJihnds the Minifters of Ch'ift they feemed fo dearly to love^ and follow falfe fearbers, or fall off to the JVorld. It is reafonable and fit^ and a Thing becoming and heauti^ fuly that Beings in a State of Frohation fhould he tried : and God looks upon theprefent outward Eafe and Comfort even of his own People^ as a Matter of no Importance^ compared with Things fpiritual and eternal. Eternity^ with all it^s Impor- tance^ lies open to his View ; and Time appears as a Pointy and all it's Concerns as Things comparatively of no Worth, If the Wicked are in Profperity^ and the Righteous in Adverftty.^ or all Things come alike to all^ God is well-pleafed , hecaufe Things of Time are of fo little Importance^ and hecaufe fuch an Adminifiration of Things is fuited to a State of TriaU There will he Time enough hereafter^ for the Righteous to he rewarded^ ayid the Wicked punifhed. In this View of Things^ we may., in a Meafure., underftand the darkeft., and account for the mofi myfteriousy Difpenfatic7ts of divine' Providence^ and difcern the Wifdom of the divine Government, It has douhtlefs appeared as a Thing firange and dark to many pious Perfons^ and occaftoned not a little Perplexity of Mind., to ohferve what has come to pafs in New-Englandy^;?<;^ the Tear 1740. That there fhould he fo general an Out-pour- ing of the Spirit., fo many Hundreds and Thoufands awa- kened all over the Country ^ and fuch an almofi univerfal exter- nal Reformation., and fo many receive the Word with Joy ; and yet,, after all., Things come to he as they now are : fo many fallen away to carnal Security., and fo many turned Enthufiafls and Hereticks., and the Country fo generally fettled in their Prejudices againft experimental Religion and the T)c5frines of the Gofpel^ and a Flood of Arminianifm and Immorality., ready to deluge the Land. But as firange and dark as it may hanje feemed^ yet douhtlefs if any of us had lived with the Ifraelites in the Witdernefs, or in the three firft Ages after Chrift^ or in the Time of the Reformation from> Popery, the Bifpenfations of divine Providence would upon the whole have appeared much more myfterious than they do now. And yet thofe were Times when God was doing glorious Things for his Church, — And indeed^ it has happened in our Bey, iv The Author's PREFACE. "Day^ however ftrange it may feem to us, no otherwife *tha» our Saviour foretold it commonly would under the Gofpel-JDif- penfatioHy at kaft ^till Satan is hound, that he may deceive the Nations no more. 'The So^tx goes forth to fow, andfome Seed falls by /^^ Way-Side, ^ fame on ftony, IS fome on thorny,^;^^ [ome on good Ground ; and while he is f owing good Seed, an Enemy in the Night, the Devil unobferved, fowsTzrts : Now when the Sun is up, i. e. when ' new Times come on, and Trials approach, the main of the Seed is lojl -, not only what fell by the Way-Side, but alfo what fell on the flony and thorny Ground. And when the good Ground is about ■ to hring forth Fruit, the Tares begin to appear too. Mat. 13. Thus it has always been, — This is a State of Trial, and God has permitted fo many fad and awful Things to happen in Times of Reformation, with Defign to prove the Children of Men, and know what is in their Hearts, The Toung People almofi all overl>^ tv^ -Enghnd pr of ejfed,they would for ever renounce youthful Vanities, andfeek the Lord. *' Well", God, in the Courfe of hisProvidence, as it were, fays, " I will try you. ''^ Seeming Converts exprejfed great Love to Chrift, his Truths, and Minifers, and Ways -, " Well,'* fays God, "-^ 1 will try you." Multitudes, being Enemies to all true Religion, longed to fee the whole Reformation fall into Difgrace, and Things return to their own Channel \ and they fought for Objections and Stumbling-Blocks : " Well," fays God, " Tou may have them, and I will try and fee how you '' will be affeuied, and what you will fay, and whether you " will be as glad when the Caufe of my SON is betrayed by " the Mif carriages of thofe that profefs to be his Friends, as *' the Jews of old were, when my SON himfelf was betrayed " into their Hands by Judas." Thus God means to try every one. A compaffionate Senfe of the Exercifes, which godly Perfons^ efpecially among common People, anight be under in thefe evil hays, while fome are fallen away, and others are clapping their Hands andrejoycing with all their Hearts to fee Zion laid wafle •, while Arminians are glofftng their Scheme, and ap- pealing to Reafon and common Senfe, as tho* their Principles were near or quite felf -evident to all Men of Thought and Candour ; The Author's PREFACE. -v Candcur -, and while Enthufiafts are going about as Men in- fpired and immediately fent by the Almighty^ prete riding to ex- traordinary SanSliiy^ and bold in it that they are Jo holy in themfelves^ and fo entirely on the Lord's Side^ that all godly People muft^ and can't but^ fee as they do^ and fall in with them^unlefs they are become blind^dead and carnal^ and got back into the World -, A compaffionate Senfe^ ^ f^h of the Exercifes of Mind, which pious Perfons among common People might have, in Juch a trying Situation of Wings, was the firfi Motive, which excited me to enter upon this Work, which I now offer to the Public k. And to make divine Truths plain to fuch, and to Jirip Error naked before their Eyes, that they might be eftablifhed and comforted and quickned in their Way Heaven-ward, was the End I had in View. And accordingly I have laboured very much to adapt my f elf to the loweiiCapaci- ties, not meaning to write a Book for the Learned and Polite, hut for common People, and efpecially for thofe that are godly among tkem. io thefe therefore, that they may read what I have writ- ten with the greater Profit, I will offer thefe two Dire^liom. (i.) Labour after determinate Ideas of God, and aSenfe of his infinite Glory. This will fpread a Light over all the 'Duties and Doctrines of Religion, and help you to underfiand the Law and the Gofpel, and to pry into the Myfieries, and difcern the Beauties, of the divine Government, By much the greateii Part of what I havewritten,befides fhewingwhat GOD is, conjijis in but fo many Propojitions deduced from the divine Perfe^ions. Begin here therefore, and learn what GOD is, and then what the moral Law is •, and this will help you to underfiand what our Ruin is, and what the Way of our Recovery by free Grace thro* Jesus Christ. The Bible is dejignedfor rational Creatures, and has God for it^s Author ; and you may therefore depend upon it^ that it contains a Scheme perfectly rat tonal, divine ^glorious. And the Pleafure of divine Knowledge will a thoufandTimes more than recompence all your Reading, Study andPains : Only content not your f elves with a general fuperficial Knowledge, but enter thoroughly iyitoThings^ (2.) Pradlife, as well as read. The End of Reading and Knowledge ii Pra^ice, And holy Pra^ice will help you vi The Author's PREFACE. you to underftand "xhat you read. Love GOD with all your Heart, mid your Neighbour as your felt -, and you can't hut underftand me^ whils in the firji Bifcourfc I Jhew what is implied in thefe two great Commands. Andpratlife Repen- tance towards God a7id Faith towards our Lord Jelus Chrift ; and thefecond Bifccurfe^ which treats of the Nature of the Gofpel and a geyiuine Compliance thcrcuoith., uill natu- rally become plain and eafy. And ivhile you daily ftudy di- vine Truths in your Heads., and digefi thcm> well in your Hearts., and pra5iije them in your hives., your Knowledge and Holiness will increafe^ and God's Word & Providence be better finderftood., your perplexing Difficulties will be more folved^ and you he eftablijhed^jlrengthned and c confer ted., in your Way Heaven-ward \ and your Light Jhiniitg before Men., they will fee your good Works, and your Father which is in Heaven will be glorified. J/ 1 which are the h tarty Beftre and Prayer Your Servant in Jesus Christ, Bethlem, April 25th. 1750. Jofeph Bellamy, ^rue Religion delineated. DISCOURSE I. Shewing the Nature of the Divine Law, and wherein confifts a real Conformity to it. MATTH. xxii. 37, 3 S, 39, 40. Jefas /aid unto him^ nou fialt love the Lord thy God with all thy Hearty and with all thy Soul^ and with all thy Mind, nis is the firft and great Commandment. And the fecond is like unto it., Thou jh alt love thy Neighbour as thy [elf , On thefe two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. The Introduction. ^lllll^mRUE Religion confifts in a Conformity to the ' ^lil^llfw Law oi God, and in a Compliance with the ^11 Xm^ Gofpel of Chrift. The Religion of innocent fl^#^m Man confifted only in a Conformity to the l^#^Sll^ I-aw; the Law of Nature, with the Addi- tion of one pofitive Precept : he had no need of Gofpel- Grace. But when Man loft his Innocency and became guilty and depraved, when he fell under the Wrath of God and Power of Sin ; he needed a Pvedeemer and a Sanctifier : B and 2 True Religion delineated Dis. L and in the Gofpel a Redeemer and a SandliRer are provided, and a Way for our obtaining pardoning Mercy and fandify- ing Grace is opened •, a Compliance, with which, does now therefore become Part of the ReHgion of a fallen Creature. Now if we can but rightly underftand the Law^ and rightly underftand the Gofpel^ we may eafily fee wherein a Confor- mity to the one,and a Compliance with the other, does con- lift : and fo what true Religion is. — For the prefent, let us take the Laiv under Confideration. And it will be proper to inquire into thefe following Particulars. — i . WhatDuty does God require of us in his Law ? — 2. From what Mo- tives mail that Duty be done ? — 3. What-4s that precife Meafure of Duty which God requires in his Law .'' And a fhort, but very clear and plain Anfwer to all thefe Queflions we have before us in our Text ; which is the Words of our blefled Saviour, and in which he does upon Delign declare what the Sum andSubflance of the Law is. — He had a Queflion put to him in thefe Words -, " Mailer, which is the great Commandment in theLaw ?" To which he anfwers — " Thou ihalt love the Lord thy God with all thyHeart &c. this is the firfl. — The fecondisiikeuntoit &c." The ten Commandm^ents are fum'd up in thefe two, and every Duty enjoined in the Law, and inculcated in the Pro- phets, are but fo many Dedudlions from thefe two, in which all are radically contained. A thoro underftanding of thefe two will therefore give us aninfight into all. Let us now therefore begin w^th taking xhtjirft of thefe into particular Confideration. 'Then JJj alt Icve the Lord thy God with all thy Heart &c. Here is — i. The Duty required, viz. Love to God. — 2. The Grounds & Reafons of the Duty in- timated. Becaufe he is the Lord our God. 3 . The Mea- fure of Duty required. JVith all thy Heart &c. In difcourfing upon thefe Words, I will therefore endea- vour to ihew, I. What is implied in Love to God. II. From what Motives we are required to love Him. III. What is tliat Meafure of Love which is required. Section and dtjlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 3 S E CT I Ot? I. Shewing what is implied in Love to GOD. I. I am to fhew ijohat is implied in Love to GOD. And I . A true Knowledge of God is implied. For this lays the Foundation for Love. A fpiritual Sight of God, and a Senfe of his Glory and Beauty, begets Love. When He that commanded the Light to fhine out of Darknefs, fhines in our Hearts, and gives us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God ; and when we with open Face behold as in a Glafs the Glory of the Lord, then we are changed into the fame Image : The Temper and Frame of our Hearts becom.e like God's : (To fpeak after the Manner of Men) we begin to feel towards God, in a Meafure as he does towards himfelf ; i. e. to love him with all our Hearts. 2 Cor. 3. 18. ^ 4. 6. For now we begin to perceive the Grounds and Reafons of that infinite Efleem he has of Himfelf, and infinite Complacency in Himfelf, and why he commands ail the World to love and adore him. And the fame Grounds and Reafons which move him thus to love Flimfelf, and command all the World to do fo too, do enkindle the divine Flame in our Hearts. When we fee God, in a Meafure, fuch as he fees Himfelf to be, and have a Senfe of his Glory and Beauty in being what he is, in a Meafure, as he Himfelf has, then we begin to love him with the fame Kind of Love, and from the fame Motives, as he Himfelf does : only in an infinitely inferiour Degree, This Sight and Senfe of God, difcovers the Grounds of Love? to him : We fee why he requires us to love him, and why we ought to love him, how right and fit it is j and fo wc Cannot but love him. This true Knowledge of God fuppofes, that in a Mea- ^ire, we fee God to be juft fuch a One as he is j and, in a Meafure,have a Senfe of his infinite Glory & Beautyin being fuch. For if our Apprehenfions of God are not right, it is not God we love, but only a falfe Image of him framed B 2 in 4, 7rue Religion delineated Dis. \. m our own Fancy.* And if we have not a Senfe of his Glory and Beauty in being what he is, it is impofTible we ihould genuinely love and efteem him for being fuch. To love God for being what he is, and yet not to have any Senfe of his Glory and Beauty in being fuch, implies a Con- tradidlion. For it fuppofes, we have a Senfe of his Glory and Beauty when we have not : a Senfe of the Beauty and Amiablenefs of any Obiecl being always neceiTarily im- plied in Love to it. Where no Beauty or Amiablenefs is feen, there can be no Love. Love cannot be forced. Forced I^ove is no Love. If we are obliged to try to force our felves to love anyBody, it is a Sign tliey are very odious in our Eyes, or at leall that we fee no Beauty nor Amiable- nefs in them, no Form or Comelinefs, wherefore we fhould defire or delight in them. {Cant.S. 7.) In all Cafes, fo far as we fee Beauty, fo far we love, and no farther. Moft certainly, that Knowledge of God which is necefTary to lay a Foundation of a genuine Love to him, implies not only right Apprehenfions of ^ivbat He is^ but alio a Senfe of his Glory and Beauty in being fuch -, for fuch a Knowledge of God as confifbs meerly in Speculation^ let it rife ever fo high, and be ever fo clear, will never move us to love Him. Mere Speculation^ where there is no Senfe of Beauty^ will no fooner fill the Heart with Love, than a Looking-Glafs will be filled with Love by the Image of a beautiful Counte- nance, which looks into it. And a mere fpeculative Know- kdge of God, will not, cannot, beget a Senfe of his Beauty in . * How falfe and dangerous therefore is that Principle, " That it is no Matter what Men's Principles be, if their Lives be but good." — Juft as if that external Conformity to the Law, might be called a good Life, which does not proceed from a genuine Love to God in the Heart : or juft as if a Man might have a genuine Love to God in his Heart, without having right Apprehenfions of Him ! or juft as if a Man might have right Apprehenfions of God, let his Appre- henfions be what they will ! Upon t\ns'?v\nQ\'^\c,Heathcns,Jc'ws, and Maho?nctans, may be faved as well as ChnJHans. And upon this Principle, the Heathen Nations need not much trouble themfelves to know w^ch is the right God among all the Gods that are worfhipped in the World, for it is no Matter nxhich God they think is the true, if their Lives are but good. But — why has God revealed him- fclf m his Word, if right Apprehenfions of God be a Matter of fuch Indifferency and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 5 in being what he is, whenas there is naturally no Difpofition in our Hearts to account Him glorious in being fuch, but wholly to the contrary. Rom, 8 . 7, The carnal Mind isEnmity againji God. When Natures are in perfedt Contrariety, (thC' one finful, and the other holy,) tlie more they are known to each other, the more is mutual Hatred ftirred up, and their entire Averiion to each other becomes more ferifible. The more they know of one another, the greater is their Diflike, and the plainer do they feel it. • Doubtlefs the fallen An- gels have a great Degree of fpeculative Knowledge, they have a very clear Sight and great Senfe of what God is : but the more they know of God, the more they hate him, i. e, Indifterency in Religion? — And why did. St. Paul take fuch Pains to convert the heathen Nations to Chriftianity, and fo much fill up his Epiftles to them afterwards with doSlrinal Points ^ and ho fo Jirenuous as to fay, " If an Angel from Heaven fhould preach any other Gof- pel, LET HIM BE ACCURSED/' if right Apprehenfions of God, and right Principles of Religion be a Matter of fuch IndifFerency ! — 'Tis ftrange that fuch a Notion fhould be ever once mentioned by any that pretend to be Chrijiians, fmce it is fubverfive of the whole Chrifliaa Religion : making Chrijlianity no fafer a Way to Heaven than Paga- nifm. Yea, fuch a Principle naturally tends to m.ake all thofe who imbibe it, leave Lo-ve to God, and Faith in Chrijly out of their Religion, and quiet themfelves with a meer empty Form of e;rternal Duties. Or in other Words, it tends to make them leave the La^j and the Go/pel out ,of their Religion, and quiet themfelves with jnerf Heathen Morality, For a Man cannot attain to Lo'ue to God 7md.Frith in Chriji, without right Apprehevfions Xif God and Chriji. Or in other Words, a Man cannot attain to a real Conform.ity to the Law, and to a genuine Compliance with the Gofpel, unlefs his Principles refpeding the Law and Gofpel are right : But a Man may attain to a ^ood Life, exter- nally^ let his Apprehenfions of God and Chriji ^ of La'vj and Gofpel, and all his Principles of Religion, be what they will. Let him be a Hea- . then, or Jew, a M^ometan, or Chriftian ; yea, if a Man be an Atheift, he may livi'i good Life externally ; for any Man has fuffi- cient Power to do every external Dut}^ ; and 'tis many times much for Men's Honour and worldly Intereft to appear righteous outwardly before Men. Matth. 23. 28. N. B. What is here faid, may with a little Alteration, be as well applied to fome other Sorts of Men. So the Moravians fay " They care not what Men's Principles be, if they do but love the Saviour." So in Ne and makes us admire, won- der * I grant, that If all our Enmity againU God arifes merely from our con- ceiving him to be our Enemy, then a Manifeftation of his Love to our Souls will caufe our Enmity to ceafe, and bring us to love him ; nor v/ill there be any need of a Senfe of the moral Excellency of his Nature to produce it ; and fo there will be no Need of the fanftifying Influences of the holy Spirit. A Manifeftation of the Love of Go4 to our Souls will effedlually change us. - — And thus a Man may be under great Terrors from a Senfe of the Wrath of God, and may fee the Enmity of his Heart in this Senfe : and may afterwards have, as he thinks, great Manifeftations of the Love of God, and be filled- with Love and Joy : and after all, never truly fee the Plague o^ his ewn Heart, nor have his Nature renewed. And a Man's ha\ lug experienced fuch a falfe Converfion, naturally leads him tofraiji^^- wrong Notions of Religion, and blinds his Mind againft th? 'ii\iik. Many of the Mtimmian Principles tal;c Rife from tfis Quaru-;. 8 True Religion deli72eated Dis. I. der and adore. Hence,the heavenly Hods fall down before the Throne, and under a Senfe of his ineffable Glory, con- tinually cry, /-A/y, holy^ holy Lord Gcd Almighty^ the ivhole Earth is full of thy Glory, And Saints here below, while they behold as in a Glafs the Glory of the Lord, are ravifhed j they efteem, they admire, they wonder and adore -, and under fome feebler Senfe of the ineffable Glory of the divine Nature, they begin to feel as they do in Hea-- ven, and to fpeak their Language, and fay, " Who is a God like unto thee ! Thy Name alone is excellent, and thy Glory is exalted above the Heavens.'* This high Efteem of God, difpofes and inclines theKeart to acquiefce, yea, to exult, in all the high Prerogatives Gcd afllimes to himfelf. God from a Confcloufnefs of his own infinite Excel- lency, his entire Right to and abfolute Authority over all Things, is difpofed to take State to himfelf, and Honour and Majefty, the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory ; and he fcts up himfelf as the mofh high God, fupreme Lord and fovereign Governour of the whole World, and bids all Worlds adore him, and be in a moft perfe£l Subjection to him, and that with all theirHearrs i and efteems the Wretch, who does not account this his higheft Happinefs, worthy of eternal Damnation. God thinks it infinitely becomes him to fet up himfelf for a GOD, & to command all the World to adore him, upon Pain of eternal Damnation. He thinks himfelf fit to govern the World, and that the Throne is his proper Place, and that all Love, Honour andObedience are his Due. '- I am the Lord, (fays he,) and befides me there *^ is no Gcd. 1 am the Lord, that is my Name, and my *' Glory will I not give to another. And thus and thus fhall " ye do, for I am the Lord. And curfed be every one that " continues not in all Things written in the Book of the *' Law to do them." Now it would be infinitely wicked for the higheft Angel in Heaven to afTume any of this Ho- nour to himfelf ; but it infinitely becomes the moft high God thus to do. And when we fee his infinite Dignity, GreatnefsjGlory andExcellency, and begin rightly to efteem him ; then his Condudl in all this will begin to appea.r infi- nitely right and fit, and fo infinitely beautiful and ravifhing, aad and dijlingtiijhed fro7n all Counterfeits. 9 and worthy to be rejoyced and exulted in. Pfal. <)i, i.'The Lordrdgneth, let the Earth rejoyce : Let the Multitude of the IJles he glad thereof. And a Sight and Senfe of the fuprcme, infinite Glory and Excellency ot the divine Nature, v/ill not only make us glad that he is GOD and KING andGOVERNOURibut alfo exceeding glad that we live under his Government,and nreto be his Subjeds and Servants, andtobe athisDiipofe.— It will Ihew us the Grounds and Reafons of his Law, how infinitely right and fit it is that we fiiould love him with all our Hearts, and obey him in eveiy Thing : How infinitely unfit and wrong the leaft Sin is : And how juft the threat- ned Punifiiment. And at the fame Time it will help us to fee, that all the Nations of the Earth are as a Drop of the Bucket, or fmall Dull: of the Ballance, before him -, and that we our felves are nothing and lefs than nothing in his Sight. So that a right Sight and Senfe of the fupreme, in- finite Glory of God^ will make us efteem him, fo as to be glad that he is on the Throne, and we at his Footftool ^ that he is King, and we his Subjects •, that he rules and reigns, and that we are abfolutely in Subjedion, and abfolutely at his Difpofe. In a Word, we Ihall be glad to fee him take all that Honour to himfelf which he does, and fhall be hear- tily reconciled to his Government, and cordially willing to take our own proper Places , and hereby a Foundation will begin to be laid in our Hearts for allThings to come to rights, Job 42 . S:>^. I have heard of thee by. the hearing of the Ear : But now mine Eye feeth thee. Wherefore I abhor my f elf and repent in Bufi and Afhes, Ifa. 2. 11. ne lofty Looks of Man fhall be humbled,, and the Haughtinefs of Man fhall be brought down,, and the Lord alone fhall be exalted, — And that all this is imphed in a genuine Love to God, not only the Reafon of the Thing and the plain Tenour of Scripture manifeft, but it is even felf-evident ^ for if we do not fo efteem God as to be thus glad to have him take hisPlace and we ours^ it argues fecret Difiike, and proves that there is fecret Rebellion in our Hearts. Thus therefore muft we efteem the gloriousGod, or be reputed Rebels in his Sight. 3 . Another Thing implied in Love to God may be call'd Benevolence. When we arc acquainted with any Perfon,and he lo True Religion delineated Dis. I. he appears very excelleat in our Eyes, andwc highly elleem him, it is natural now heartily to wifh him well •, we are concerned for his Intcreft, we are glad to fee it go well with him, and forry to fee it go ill with him •, and ready at all Times chearfully to do what we can to promote hisWelfare. Thus Jonathan felt towards David. And thus Love to God will make us feel towards him, his Honour and Intereft in the World. When God is feen in his infinite Dignity, Greatnefs, Glory and Excellency, as the moft high God, fupremeLord,and fovereignGovernourof the whole World ; and a Senfe of his infinite W^orthinefs is hereby railed in our Hearts ; this enkindles a holy Benevolence, the native Language whereof is, Let God be glorifiedy Pfal. 96. 7, 8. And be thou exalted, O God, above theHeavens : Let thy Glory beMhove all the Earth, Pfal. p^y, 5, n. This holyDifpofition fometimes exprefTes it felf in earneft Longings that God would glorify himfelf, and honour his great Name \ and bring all the World into an entire Sub- jedion to him. And hence this is the native Language of true Love, Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, tloy Kingdom come, thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Mat. 6. 9, 10. — And hence, when God is about to bring to pafs great and glorious Things to the Honour of his great Name, it caufes great Joy andRejoycing. Pfal. 96. II, 12, 13. Let the Heavens rejoyce, and let the Earth be glad : Let the Sea rcre, and thefulnefs thereof, let the Field be joyful, and all that is therein : ^henfhall the 'Trees of iheWood rejoyce, before the Lord \ for he cometh,for he ccmeth to judge the Earth, he fJjall judge the IVorld with Right eoufnefs, and the People with his Truth. And hence again, when God feems to be about to do, or permit, any Thing, which, as it feems to us, tends moft certainly to bring Reproach and Diflionour upon his great Name,it occafions the greateft Anguiih & Diftrefs. Thus lays God to Mofes^ " This is aftiff-aecked People, let me ** alone that I may deftroy them in a Moment, and I will " make of thee a great Nation." But fays Mofcs, " What " will become of thy great Name ? What will the Egypti^-^ ** ansizy} And whatwilltheNations all round about fay?" Aii4 he mourns and wreftles, crys and prays, begs and pleads, and difli7tguijhed from all Counterfeits, i x pleads, as if his Heart would break. And fays he, " If I " may not be heard, but this Difhonour and Reproach ^' muft come upon thy great Name ; it can't comfort me, '' to tell me, of making of me a great Nation : Pray \tt " me rather die and be forgotten for ever, and let not my " Name be numbered among the living, but let it be blot- " ted out of thy Book." V/ell,fays God, "I will hear thee. *' But as truly as I live, I will never put up thefe Affronts; " but the whole World Hiall know what a holy and " Sin-hating God I am, and be filled v/ith my Glory : For " the Carcafes of all thofe, who have treated me thus,fhall " fall in the Wildernefs ^ and here they fhall wander 'till '* forty Years are accomplifh'd, and then I v/ill do fo and " fo to their Children, and fo fecure the Honour of my " Power, Truth and Faithfulnefs." And now Mofes is content to live in the Wildernefs, and do and fuffer and un- dergo any Thing, if God will but take Care of his great Name. Exod. 32. Numb. 14. — And as it is diftreffing to a true Lover of God, to fee God's Name and Works and Ways fall into Reproach and Contempt •, and as on the o- ther Hand there is no greater Joy then to fee God glorify himfelf ; (Exod. 15. J Hence, this World, even on this Ac- count, may be fitly called a Vale of "Tears to the People of God, becaufe here they are always feeing Reproach and Contempt caft upon God, his Name, his Works and his Ways. And hence, at the Day of Judgment, all thefeTears fhall be wiped away from their Eyes, becaufe then they fhall ifee all Things turned to the Advancement of the Glory o\ his great Name, throughout the endlefs Ages of Eternity. Rev. 19. I, 2,3,4, 5. Again, this divine Benevolence or wifhing that God may be glorified, fometimes exprefles it felf in earnefl Longings that all Worlds might join together to blefs and praife the Name of the Lord : And it appears infinitely fit & right, and fo infinitely beautiful and ravifhing, that the whole in- telligent Creation fhould for ever join in the mofl folemn Adoration. Yea, and that Sun, Moon, Stars ; Earth, Air, Sea ; Birds, Beafls, Fifties •, Mountains and Hills, and all Things fhould in theirWay, difplay the divine Perfedtions, and praife the Name of the Lord, becaufe his Name alone is 12 True Religion delineated Dis, I. is excellent and his Glory is exalted above the Heavens. And hence the pious Pfalmiji fo often breathes this divine Language. Pfal. 103. 20, 21, 22. Blefs the Lord^ ye his Angels^ that excel in Strength^ that do his Commayidments •, hearbiing unto the Voice of hisWord, Blefs ye thcLord^ all ye his Hojls^ ye Miniifers of his that do his Pleaftire, Blefs the Lord all his PForks^ in all Places of his Dominion : Blefs the Lord^ 0 my Soul, Pfal. 148. i, — -13. Praife ye the Lord. Praife ye the Lord from the Heavens : Praife him in the Heights. Praife hifn^ all ye his Angels : Praife him, all his HoJifs. Praife him. Sun and Moon, &c. Let thetn praife the Name of the Lord \ for his Name alone is excellent, &c. See alfo the 95, 96, 97, & 98th Pfalms, &c. &c. Lajlly, From this divine Benevolence, arifes a free and genuine Difpofition to dedicate,conlecrate, devote and give up our felves entirely to the Lord tor ever ; to walk in all his Ways, and keep all his Commands, feeking his Glory. For if we defire that God may be glorified, we fhall natu- rally be difpofed to feek his Glory. A Sight and Senfe of the infinite Dignity, Greatnefs, Glory and Excellency of God, the great Creator, Preferver and Governour of the World, who has an entire Right unto, and an abfolute Au- thority over all Things, makes it appear infinitely fit that all Things fhould be for him, and him alone ; and that we fhould be intirely for him, and wholly devoted to him •, and that it is infinitely wrong to live to ourfeives, and make our own Intereft our laft End. The fame Views which make the Godly earneftly long to have God glorify himfelf^ and to have all the World join to give him Glory, thoroughly eno-a^e them for their Parts to live to God. After David had called upon all others to blefs the Lord, he concludes with, Blefs the Lord, 0 my Soul. And this is the Language of Heaven, Rev. 4. 1 1 . Thou art worthy, O Lord, to re- ceive Glory, and Honour, and Power : For thou haft created all Things, and for thy Pleafure they are., and were created. And it was thtwMaxim in the Apoftles Days, Whether they eat or drank, or whatever they did, all muft be done to the Glory of God, i Cor. 10. 31. And it was their Way, not to live to themfclves, but to the Lord -, ( 2 Cor. 5. 15. ) Yea, Whether they livedo to live to theLord , or whether they diedy t9 and diftingtiijked from all Counterfeits. 1 3 to die to the Lord. Rom. 14.7,8. This was what they com- mended. Fhil. 2. 20, 21. And this was what they enjoined, as that, in which the very Spirit of true ReHgion confifted. Eph, 6. 5, 6, 7. I Cor. 6, 20. Rom. 12. i. & 7. 4. All rational Creatures, a6ling as fuch, are always influ- enced by Motives in their whole Conduct. — Hiofe Things are always the moil powerful Motives, which appear to us mofl: worthy of our Choice. — The principal Motive to an Action, is always the ultimate End of the Adlion. Hence, if God, his Honour and Interefl, appear to us as the fu- pream Good, and moil worthy of our Choice, then God, his Honour and Interefl, will be the principal Motive and ultimate End of all we do. If we love God fupreamily, we fhall live to him ultimately. If we love him with all our Elearts, we fliall fcrve him with all otir Souls. — Juft as on the other Hand, if we love our felvcs above all, then Self- Love will abfolutely govern us in all Things. If Self-In- tereft be the principal Motive,then Self-Interefl: will be the lafb End, in our v/hole Condud:. — Thus then we fee, that if GOD be highefh in Efteem, then God'^s Interefl will be the principal Motive and the lad End of the whole Condu6l of rational Creatures : And if SELF be highefl in Efleem, then Self-Intereft will be the principalMotive and lail End. And hence we may obferve, that where Self-Buerefl govGvns Men, they are confidered in Scripture, as ferving themfehes. (Hof. 1 0.1. Zee. 7. c,.,6.) And v^hevt Gcd's Interefl governs^ they are confidered as ferving the Lord. 2 Cor. 5. 15. Gal. I. 10. Eph. 6. 5, 6, 7. compared with Tit. 2. 9, 10. To love God lb as to ferve him., is vv^hat the Law requires ; To love Self fo as to ferve Self., is Rebellion againil theMajeily of Heaven. And the fame infinite Obligations w^hich we are under to love God above our felves ; even the fame infinite Obligations are we under, to live to God ultimately, and not to our felves. And therefore it is as great a Sin to live to our felves ultimately ; as it is to love our felves fupremcly. 4. and lailly. Delight in God, is alfo implied in Love to him. By Delight we commonly mean,thatPleafure, Sweet- nefs and Satisfaction, which v/e take in any l^hing that is very dear to us. When a Man appears very excellent to us, and we efteem him, and wifn him all Good •, wc alfo at the 14 Irue Religion delineated Dis. I. the fame Time, feel a Delight in him, and a Swectnefs in his Company and Converfation. We long to fee him when abfent ; we rejoyce in his Prefence ; the Enjoyment of him tends to make us happy. So when a holy Soul beholds God in the infinite moral Excellency and Beauty of hisNa- ture, and loves him fupreamly, and is devoted to him en- tirely, nov/ alfo he delights in him fuperlatively. His De- light and Complacency is as great as his Eflcem, and arifes from a Senfe of the fame moral Excellency and Beauty. — From this Delight in God arife Longiii^'i after further Ac- quaintance with him, and greaterNearnefs to him. Job 23.3, O that I knewwhere I ruightfindhim^ that I might come even to his Seat ! — Longings after Communion with him. Pfah 63. I, 2. O God, thou art my God, early ivill Ifeek thee : My Soul thirfteth for thee, 7ny Flefrj loweth for thee in a dry and thirfiy Land, where no Water is : '1 c fee thy Power and thy Glory, fo as Ihavefeen thee in the San6iuary. /. 8. My Soul followeth hard after thee. — A holy Rejoycing in God. Hab. 3. 17, 18. Altho the Figtree fhall not Blcffom, neither fhall Fruit he in the Vine : l^he Labour of the Olive fJoall fail, and the Field fhall yield no Meat, the Flock fhall be cut off from the Fold, and there fhall be no Herd in the Stall : 2a I will rejoyce in the Lord, I will joy in the Rock of my Salvation. — Finally, from this Delight in God arifes a holy Difpofiticn to renounce all other Things, and live wholly upon him, and take up everlailing Content in him, alid in him alone. Pfal. 73. 25,26. Whom have I in Heaven but thee ? and there is none uponEarth Idefire befides thee. MyFlefo a?id my Heart faileth, but God is the Strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever. — The vain Man takes Content in vain Company -, the worldly Man takes Content in Riches \ the ambitious Man in Honour and Applaufe -, the Philofopher in Philo- fophical Speculations -, the legal Hypocrite in his Round of Duties ; the evangelical Hypocrite in his Experiences, his Difcoveries, his Joys, his Raptures, and confident Expeda- tion of Heaven : but the true Lover of God takes his Con- tent in God himfelf Pfal. 4. 6, 7. jj.nd thus we fee what is implied in Love to God. And and dijlinguijhed fro7n all Counterfeits. 1 5 And now that this is a right Reprcfentation of the Nature of that Love, which is required in the firfl and great Com- mandn^ent of the Law upon which chiefly all the Law and theProphets hang,is manifeIl,not only from theReafon of the Thing, & from what has been already faid-, but alfo from this, that fuch a Love to God as this,%j a fure & firm Foundation for all holy Obedience, That Love to God is of ih^ right Kind whichwill effeduallyinfluenceustokeephisCommands. Joh. 15- H- I Job, 2. 3, 4, 5. But it is evident from the Na- ture of Things, that fuch a Love as this will efF€6tually in- fluence us to do fo. As Self-love naturally caufes us to fet up Self and feek Self-Interefl : So this Love to God will naturally influence us to fet up God and feek his Interefl. As delight in the World naturally makes us feek after the Enjoyment of the World, fo this delight in God will natu^ rally influence us to feek after the Enjoyment of God. And while we love God primarily for being what he is, we cannot but for the fame Reafon, love his Law, which is a Tranfcript of his Nature, and love to conform to it.. If w© loved him only from Self-love, from the fear of Hell, or from the hopes of Heaven -, we might at the fam.e time hate his Law : but if vv'e love him for being what he is, we can- not but love to be like him : which is what his Law re- quires. To fuppofe that a Man loves God fupremely for what he is ^ and yet don't love to be like him ; is an evi- dent Contradidion. It is to fuppofe a Thing fupremely loved ; and yet at the fame time not loved at all. So that to a Demonfl:ration, this is the very Kind of Love which the Lord our God requires of us. So Saints in Heaven love God perfedly, and fo the good Man on Earth begins in a weak and feeble Manner to love God : for there is but one Kind of Love required in the Law ; and fo but one Kind of Love which is of the right Sort : for no Kind of Love can be of the right Sort, but that very Kind of Love v/hich the Law requires. There is therefore no difference between their Love in Heaven, and our's here upon Earth, but only iH Degree. ^ Sl<: TlO^f 1 6 "True Religmi delineated Dis. L S E C T I O N IL Shewing from "what Motives true Love to GOD takes its Rife. IL I now proceed to fnew more particularly, from 'what Motives we are rec^uired thus to love God. Indeed I have done this in Part already. For I have been oWiged all along, in iliewing what is innplied in Love to God, to keep mvEye upon the firfb and chief Ground & Reafon of Love, name- ly what God is in himfelf. But there are other Conhdera- tions, which increafe our Obligations to love him and live to him •, which ought therefore to come into the Account. And I defign here to take a general View of ail the Rea- fons and Motives which ought to influence us to love the Lord our God \ all which are implied in thofe Words, The Lord thy Gcd. Thm JJjalt love the Lord thy God voith all thy Heart, i. e. becaufe he is THE LORD and OUR GOD. I. The firft and chief Motive w^hich is to influence us to love God with all ourHearts, is His infinite Dignity i^ Great- mfs, Glcry ayid Excellency : Or in one Word, His infinite Amiahlencjs. We are to love him. with all our Hearts, be- caufe he is THE LORD, becaufe he is what he is, and juft fuch a Being as he is. On this Account primarily,and antecedent to all other Conflderations,he is infinitely amiable; and therefore on this Account primarily and antecedent to all other Confiderations, ought he to appear infinitely amia- ble in our Eyes. This is the firft & chief Reafon & Ground upon which his Law is founded, I AM TPIE LORD : {Exod. 20. 2. Levit. 19.) This therefore ought to be the firft and chief Motive to influence us to obey. The principal Reafon which moves him to require us to love him, ought to be the principal Motive of our Love. If tire fundamen- tal Reafon of his requiring us to love him with all our Hearts, is, becaufe he is what he is \ and yet the Bottom of our Love be fomething elfe •, then our Love is not what his Lav/ requires, but aThing of quite another Nature. Yea if the Foundation of our Love to God, is not becaufe he is what he is, in Truth we love him not at all. If I feel a Sort of Refpcd to one of my Neighbours who is very kind to rae, and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 1 7 mc, and either do not know what a Sort of Man he is, or it 1 do, yet do not like him ; it is plain, it is his KindnefTes I love, and not his Perfon ♦, and all my feeming Love to him, is nothing but Self-Love in another Shape. And let him ceafe being kind to me, and my Love will ceafe. Let him crofs me, and I ihall hate him. Fut forth thineHand now^ and touch all that he hath^ and he will curfe thee Id thy Face (]cki i.ii.) as the Devil faid concerning Job, And indeed fo he would, had not his Love to God taken its rife from another Motive, than God's Kindnefles to him. But why need I multiply Words ? For it feems even felf-evi- dent, that God's Lovelinefs ought to be the firfl and chief Thing for which we love him. Now, God is infinitely lovely, becaufe he is what he is. Or in otherWordsjhisinfiniteDignity &Greatnefs,Gloryahd Excellency, are the Refult of his natural and moral Per- fections. So that -it is a clear Sight & realizing Senfe of his natural & moral Perfe6lions,astheyare revealed in hisWorks and in his Word, that makes him appear to a holy Soul as a Being of infiniteDignity& Greatnefs,Glory and Excellency. Thus the Queen of Sheba^ feeing and converfing with 6"^?^- mon^ and viewing his Works, under a Senfe of the large and ' noble Endowments of his Mind, was even ravifhed ; and Cried out. The one Half was not told me I And thus the holy and divinely enlightned Soul, upon feeing God, reading his Word, and meditating on his wonderful Works ; under a Senfe of his divine and incomprehenfible Perfedtions, is ra- vifhed with his infinite Dignity, Majefty, Greatnefs, Glory and Excellency j and loves, admires, and adores ; and fays, JVho is a God like unto thee ! His natural Perfections are, (i.) His infinite Under/landing ; whereby he knows himfelf, and all Things foffible •, and beholds all Things paft, prefent and to come, at one All-comprehenfive View. So that from Everlafting to Everlalling, his Knowledge can neither increafe nor diminifh, or his Views of Things fufFer the leaft Variation •, being always abfolutely compleat, and confequently necelTarily always the fame. (2.) His Almighty Power \ whereby he is able, with infi- nite Eafe, to do any Thing that he pleafes. C And iS- True Religion delineated Dis. I. And his moral Perfedlions are, (i.) His infinite Wifdom \ whereby he is able, and is in- clined, to contrive and order all Things in all Worlds for the beft Ends, and after the beft Manner. (2.) 1l\\s perfe5i Holinefs \ whereby he is inclined, infi- nitely to love Right, and hate Wrong : Or according to Scripture-Phrafe, to love Righteoufnefs and hate Iniquity. (3.) His impartial Jufiice ', whereby he is unchangeably inclined, to render to every one according to his Deferts. (4.) His infinite Goodnefs •, whereby he can find in his Heart to bellow the greateftFavours upon his Creatures, if he pleafes •, and is inclined to bellow all that is beft -, all Things confidered. (5.) His Truth and Faithfulnefs •, whereby he is inclined to fulfil all his Will, according to his Word : So that there is an everlafting Harmony between his Will, his Word, and his Performance. And his Being, and all his natural and moral Perfedions, and his Glory and Bleflednefs, which refults from them, he has in himfelf,and of himfelf, underived •, and is necelTarily infinite, eternal, unchangeable, in all ; and fo abfolutely In- dependent, Self-fufficient and All-fufficient. " This is the God, whom we do love 1 " This is the God, whom we adore ! " In him we truft, to him we live ^ " He is our All, for evermore." Now there are three Ways by which thefe his Perfections are difcovered to the Children of Men : By hisWorks,by his Word, and by his Spirit. By the two firft, we fee him to be what he is : By the laft, we behold his infinite Glory in being fuch. The two firft, produce a fpeculativeKnow- ledge : The laft, a Senfe of moral Beauty. Firft^ He difcovers thefe his Perfe6lions by his Works, i. e. by his creating^ preservings and governing the World •, and by his redeeming^ fan5fifying and faving his People, I . By his creating the World. He it is, who has ftretched abroad the Heavens as a Curtain, and fpread them out as a Tent to dwell in : who has created the Sun, Moon & Stars •, and appointed them their Courfes : who has hung theEarth upon nothing : who has fixed the Mountains, and bounded and mtd dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 1^ the Seas, and formed every living Creature. All the hea- venly Hofts he hath made, and created all the Nations that dwell upon the Earth : and the Birds of the Air, and the Beads of the Field, and the Fifhes of the Sea, and every creeping Thing, are the Works of his Hands : and the meaneft of his Works are full of unfearchable Wonders, far furpafTing our Undarftanding. ^o that the invifible "Things ofGod^ from the Creation of the Worlds are clearly feen^ being underftood by the Things that are made^ even his eternal Poiver and Godhead. As St. P^?// obferves, in Rom, i. 20. 2. By his preferring th eWorld, His Eyes run to and fra thro'out all the World, beholding every Thing. HisEyesare upon all his Works, fo that even theSparrows are not forgotten by him, and the very Hairs of our Heads are all numbred. And he holds all Things in being •, and the opening of his Hand fills the Defires of every living Creature : even the whole Family of Heaven and Earth live upon his Goodnefs^ and are maintained by his Bounty. In a Word, his infinite Underflanding fees all, his infinite Power upholds all, his infinite W^ifdom takes care of all, and his infinite Goodnefs provides for all •, and that every Moment. So that the in- vifible Things of God are difcovered in preferving, as well as in creating the World. And hence when the picusP/^/- mifi meditates on the Works of Creation and Prefervation, he fees God in them,and views his Perfedions,and is touch'd at Heart with a Senfe of his Glory, and is filled with high and exalted, and with admiring and adoring Thoughts of God. So Pfal. 19. I. The Heavens declare the Glory of the Lord^^c. And PfaLg^. i. 0 come let usftng unto the Lor d^ &c. — But v/hy ? — ii, 3. For the Lord is a great Gody and a great King,, above allGods. — But how does this appear ? Why,i;^r. 4,5. i)^ his Hand are the deep Places of the Earth ; theStrength of the Hills is his alfo. The Sea is his,, and he made it : and his Hands formed the dry Land,, f. 6. 0 therefore come let us worfhip and bow down^ let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, — And again in Pfal, 96. i. Oftngunto the Lord a new Song : Sing unto the Lord,, all the Earth. — But why ? — }^.4. For the Lord is great,, and greatly to bepraifed : He is to be feared above all Gods. — But wherein does this appear ? ilh-Why — -f'. 5. All the Gods of the Nations are Idols : but the . C 2 LORD 20 T^rue Religion dilineated Dis. I. L0RlD7nr:detheHeav ens. "Andionctmoxt'mV^A, 1 04. i ,2,&c. Blefs the Lcrdy 0 my Soul. — But why ? — Thou art very great y thcu art cloathed with Honour and Majefty. — But how does this appear ? — Why ? — Thou haft Jlr etched out theUeavens as a Curtain, And /.5. And laid the Foundations of the Earthy that it cannot be removed for ever. And f.ij.Ad wait upon thee^ that thou may ft give them their Meat in dueSeafon. >' .2 8. That thou giveft them^ they gather \ thou openeft thy Hand., they are filled with Good. And throughout the whole Pfalm he is meditating on the Creation & Frefervation of the World; and viewing the divine Perfedlions therein difcovered, and admiring the divine Glory, and wondering and adoring : And finally concludes with, Blefs the Lord., 0 my Soul : Praife ye the Lord, But, 3. His Perfections are ftill much more eminently difplayedy in that moral Government^ which he maintains over the intel- ligent Part of the Creation : efpecially his moral Perfe^icns. In the Works of Nature his natural Perfedions are to be feen : But in his moral Government of the World, he ads out his Heart, and fhews the Temper of his Mind. In- deed all the Perfedlions of God are to be feen in the Work of Creation : If we view Angels and M'en,and con- fider what they were, as they came firfl out of his Hands ; holy and pure. But ftill God's Condud: towards them un- der the Character of their King and Governour, more evi- dently difcovers the very Temper of his Heart. As the Tree is known by the Fruit ; lb God's moral Perfedions may be known by his moral Government of the World. The whole World was created for a Stage., on which a va- riety of Scenes were to be opened ; in and by all which, God defigned to exhibit a m^oft exad Image of himfelf. For as God loves himfelf infinitely, for being what he is ^ fo he takes infinite Delight, in ading forth and exprefiing all his Heart. He loves to fee his Nature & Image fhine in all his Works, and to behold the whole World filled with his Glory. And he perfedly loves to ha e all his Condud (the whole of it taken together) an exa5t Refem- blance of himfelf ; and infinitely abhors in his publick Condud, in the leaft to counter-ad the Temper of his Heart j fo as by his publick Condud, to feem to be, what indeed and dtjlingutjhed from all Counterfeits. 2 1 indeed he is not. So that, in his moral Government of the World we may fee his inward Difpofition,& difcer n the true nature of his moral Perfedions. And indeed all his Per- fedions are herein difcovered. Particularly, (i.) His infinite Under/landing. High on his Throne in Heaven he fits, and all his vafl Dominions lie open to his View. His All-feeing Eye views all his Courts above5and fees under the whole Heavens, looks thro the Earth, and pierces all the dark Caverns of Hell. So that his Acquain- tance with all Worlds and all Things is abfolutely perfed and compleat. He can behold all the folemn Worlliip of Heaven, and the inmoll Thoughts of all that great Afiembly j he can behold all the Sin, Mifery and Confufion that over- spread the whole Earth, and the inmoft Temper of every Mortal •, and look thro Hell and fee all the Rebellion and Blafphemy and cunning Devices of thofe infernal Fiends* : And all this at one All-Comprehending View. And thus, as high Governour of the whole World, he continually be- holds all Things •, whereby a Foundation is laid, for the Exercife of all his other Perfedions in his Government over all. See the Omnifcience of God elegantly defcribed ia Pfal. 139. I, — 12. And being perfedly acquainted y/ith himfelf, as well as with all his Creatures ; hence, he can- not but fee what a Condud from him towards them, will, all Things confidered, be moft right and fit ^d amiable^ and mofi: becoming, fuch an One, as he is -, and alfo, what a Condud from them to him, is his Due ; and their Duty. By his infinite Underftanding he is perfedly acquainted with Right and Wrong, with what is fit and v/hat unfit : And by the moral Reditude of his Nature, he infinitely loves the one and hates the other, and is difpofed to condud accordingly ^ of which more prefently. Pfal. 147. i. Praife ye the Lor d^ for it is good to ftng Praifes unto our God \ for it ispkafant^ and Praife is comely, — But why ? — f ^. Great is our Lord and of great Power ^ his Understanding is INFINITE. — But wherein does that appear ^ — Why, /. 4. He telleth the Number of the Stars : He calleth them ALL by their Names, Now if the infinite Underftanding of God may be feen in this one Particular -, much jnor^, in the re- gulv ordering and difpofing of all Things, throughout tht 2 2 True Religion delineated Dis. 1. whole Uriivcrfe : And that, not only in the natural^ but alfo, in the moral World. (2.) His iyifinite Power, is diplaycd in the Government of the World. For he does according to his Pleafure in the Armies of Heaven, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth : fo that none can flay his Hand, or hinder the Ex- ecution of his Defigns. — Have Rebellions broke out in any Part of his Dominions ? He has manifeftly had the Re- bels intirely in his Hands ; they have lain abfoiutely at his Mercy ; and he has dealt with them according to his fove- reign Pleafure ; and none has been able to make any Re- fiilance -, nor has there been any to deliver them out of his Hands. — When Rebellion broke out in Heaven, he crufn'd the Rebels in a Moment : They fell beneath the Weight of his Hand ; they felt his Power, they defpaired, they funk to Hell. And there he referves them in Chains, nor can they ftir from their dark Abode, but by his fpecial Permiffion. — And when Rebellion broke out upon Earth, the Rebels were equally in his Hands, and at his Mercy : unable to make any Refiftance : altho' he was pleafed, in his infinite Wifdom, to take another Method with them. But he has fince difcovcred his Power, in treading down his implacable Enemies, under Foot, many a time. He de- ftroyed the old World, burned Sodom^ drowned Pharaoh and his Hofrs, and turned Nebuchadnezzar into a Beaft. If his Enemies have exalted themfelves, yet he has been above them, brought them down •, and difcovered to all theWorld,that they are in his Hands, and withoutStrength, at his Difpofal. Or if he has fuffered them to go on and profper, and exalt themfelves greatly, yet ilill he has been above them, and has accomplifhed his Defigns by them, and at iafl has brought them down. Haughty Nebuchad- nezzar when he had broken the Nations to Pieces, as it he had been the Hammer of the whole Earth, now tho't him- i<.'S fome-hody. And Alexander the Great, when conquer- ing the World, afpired to be thought the Son of Jupiter. But the moft high God, the Great and Almighty Gover-* nour of the World, always had fuch Scourges of Mankind only as a Rod in his Hand, with which he has executed Judgment upon a wicked V/orld. Howbeit they meant not fo and dtjlingtitjhed from all Counterfeits, 2 3 foy neither did their Hearts think fo. But it was in their Hearts to gratify their Ambition, Avarice and Revenge. However, he was above them •, and alway-s fuch have been in his Hands as the Ax is in the Hands of him that heweth therewith^ or as the Saw is in the Hands cf him that Jhaketh it J or as the Rod is in the Hand of him that lifteth it up. And when he has done with the Rod, he always breaks it and burns it. See Ifai. 10. 5 — 19. And as this great King has difcovered his Almighty Power by crufhing RebeUions in his Kingdom, and fubdu- ing Rebels •, fo he has alfo, in proteding his Friends, and working Deliverance for his People. He made a Path for his People thro the Sea j he led them thro' the Wilder- nefs. He gave them Water to drink out of the Rock •, and fed them with Angels Food. In the Day time he led them by a Cloud j and all the Night with the Light of Fire. He brought them to the promifed Land, and drove out the Heathen before them : and in all their Diftrefles, when- ever they cried unto him, he delivered them. And as the fupreme Governour of the World, did thus in the Days of old difcover his Almighty Power in governing among his intelligent Creatures ^ fo he is ftill in various Ways and Manners, in his Providential Difpenfatlons, evidently dif- covering that he can do all Things. And his People fes it, and believe it •, and admire, &adore. Read Pfal.io^. (3.) Again, His infinite JVifdom^ is difcovered in an end- lefs Variety of Inftances, in all his Government throughout all his Dominions -, in his managing all Things to the Glory of his Majefty, to the Good of his loyal Subjects, and to the Confufion of his Foes. There has never any Thing happened in all his Dominions, and never will j but has been and fhall be, made entirely fubfervient to his Honour and Glory. Even the Contempt call upon him by his rebellious Subjeds, he turns to his greater Glory. As in the Cafe of Pharaoh^who fet up himfelf againft God, and faid, fFho is the Lord that Ifhouldobey him ? I know not theLordy nor will I let Ifrael go. And he exalted himfelf and dealt proudly & haughtily •, and hardened his Heart, and was refolve4 he would not regard God, nor be bowed nor quered by him ; for he defpifed him in bis Heart. But C 4 %m 24 True Religion delineated Dis. I. the more he carried himfelf, as if there were no God -, the more were the Being & Perfeftions of God made manifeft. For the more h: hardened his Heart, the more ftout and flubboi-n he was, the more God honoured himfelf m fub- duing him. Yea, God in his infinite Wifdom fuffered him {o be as high and haughty, as ftout and ftubborn as he pleafed •, he took off all Reftraints from him, permitted the Magicians to imitate the Miracles diMofes^ fo that Fha^ roah in feeing might not fee, nor be convinced : and he ordered that the Plagues Ihould lad but for a fhort Sea- fon, that Pharoah might have Refpite ^ and thus it was that God hardned his Heart. And God in his infinite Wifdom did ail this with a View to his own Glory. As he tells Pharoah by. the Hand of Mofes. — " Such and fuch Plagues I defign to bring upon you, and to do fo, and fo, with you." And indeed for this Caufe have I raifed thee up ^ for tofJjsw in thee ^ my Poisjer^ and that my Name may be declared^ throiighcut all the Earthy Exod. 9. 16. And ac- cordingly God was illuflriouQy honoured at lad upon Pha-^ roah^ and upon all his Hoft, at the Red-fea. And the Egyptians^ and all the neighbouring Nations, were made to know that he was the Lord : and his Name became dreadful among the Heathen. And we find that in three or four Hundred Years after, the Philijlines had not for^ gotten it. For v/hen the Ark in the Days oiEli, was car^ hed into the Camp of Ifrael *, tht Philijlines were fore afraid ;. and faid, " God is come into the Camp ; Wo unto us. " Who fnall deliver us out of the Hands of thefe mighty " Gods ? Thefe are the Gods that fmote the Egyptians^ " with all the Plagues in the Wildernefs &c." j Sam. 4. So God wifely ordered and over-ruled all Things, that befell the Children of Ifrael in the Wildernefs, to accom- plilh the Ends he had in View. His Defigns were to get himfeif a great Name, and fill the whole Earth with hi$ Glory {Num. 14. 21.) and to try and humble his People, and make them know, that it was not for their Righteouf- ncfs,that he brought them into theLand oi Canaan {Deut.oi.) And every Thing that came to pafs, for thofe forty Years, was admirably calculated to attain thefe Ends. The News of Pharaoh's Overthrow, of God's coming down upon Mount and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 25 Mount Simiy and abiding there for fo long a Time, with fuch awful Majefty •, and of the Pillar of Cloud by Day, and of Fire by Night ; of the Mama, of the Water flow- ing out of a Rock and following them, of their Murmur- ings and Infurredlions, and God's Judgments upon them ; I fay, the News of thefe, and of other Things of this Na- ture, that happened to them for thofe forty Years, flew all the World over, and filled all the Nations of the Earth with the greateft Afl:onilhment •, and made them think there was no God, like the Godcflfrael. {Nurah. 1 4. 1 3, 14, 1 5.) By all thefe Things \ and by God's bringing his People at lafl: to the PoflTefilon of the Land of Canaan, according to his Promife •, there was exhibited a Specimen of God's infinite Knowledge, Power, Wifdom, Holinefs, Juftice, Goodnefs & Truth : and that before the Eyes of all the Nations. And fo the whole Earth was filled with his Glory : i. e. v/ith the clear Manifefliations of thofe Per- fe6t:ions in which his Glory confifl:s. And thus his great End was obtained. And in the mean time, all the Wandrings, and Trials, and Sins and Sorrows of the Chil- dren of Ifrael, together with all the wonderful Works which their Eyes beheld, and wherein God difcovered himfelf, for thofe forty Years ; had a natural Tendency to try them, to humble them, and break their Hearts, and make them know, that not for their Righteoufnefs, nor for the Uprightnefs of their Hearts, did God at lafl: fliew them that great Mercy : and to convince them of the ex- ceeding great Obligations they were under to love^and fear, and ferve the Lord for ever. And fo the other great End which God had in View was accompliflied. Deut, 8, 65? 9, and 10. Cha'p, And now, all thefe Things were by God wifely done •, and in this his Condudl, his infinite Wifdom is to be feen.* And thus it is in all God's Difpenfations, thro* * If God had {o ordered, that Ahraham had been born in the Land of Canaan^ and his Pofterity bad multiplied greatly,and the other Nations gradually by SicknefTes and Wars had wafted away and come to no- thing, until there were none but the Pofterity of Abraham left, and they had filled the Land ; God's Hand then would not have been fcen : none of thefe excellent Ends attained : all would have been rcfolvcd 26 True Religion delineated Dis. I. thro'out all his Dominions, with Regard to the whole Univerfe in general, and to every intelligent Creature in partictilar. His Works are all done in Wifdom \ and fo his infinite Wifdom is difcovered in all. And hence God appears infinitely glorious in the Eyes of his People. Deut. 32.3,4 Tfal. 104.24.(5^ 105. I 45. iCor.1.24. — 31. (4.) Again, His infinite Purity and Holincfs^ is alfo dif- tovered in his Government of the World : in all that he has done, to eftablifh Rights and difcountenance Wrongs thro'out all his Dominions. His creating Angels & Men in his own Image, with his Law written on their Hearts, manifefted his Difpofition, and fhewed what hewaspleafed ^ith : But his publick Condudt as moral Governour of the World, has more evidently difcovered, the very Temper of his Heart ; and fhewn how he loves Right and hates Wron^^ to an infinite Degree. Governours among Men difcover much of their Difpofition,and fhcw what they love and what they hate, by their Laws : and they fhew how fervent their Love & Hatred is, by all the Methods they take to enforce them : And fo does the great Governour of the World. By his Laws, by his Promifes & Threat- nings j by his paft Condud, and declared Defigns for the future, he manifefts how he loves moral Good and hates moral Evil. By his infinite Underftanding, he is perfeftly acquainted with Himfelf, and with all his intelligent Creatures : and fo perfe6tly knows what a Condud in him towards them is right, fit & beautiful, and fuch as becomes fuch a One as he is. And alfo, perfectly knows what a Condudl in his Creatures towards him, and towards each other, is fit and amiable, and fo their Duty. He fees what is right, and infinitely refolved into natural Caufes.- — Therefore God contrived where^^^r^- bam fhould be born ; how he fhould leave hrs own Country ; have a Promife of the Land of Canaan ; and how his Seed fhould come to be in Egypty come to be in great Bondage and Diftrefs j how he would fend, and how he would deliver them, and how they fhould carry themfelvcs, and what fhould happen ; and how every Thing fhoiUd turn out at lafl : He laid the whole Plan, with a View to thofc excellent Ends his Eye was upon. It was wifely contrived : and when it came to be afted over, his infinite Wifdom was difcovered. and dijiinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 2 7 infinitely loves it, becaufe it is right. He fees what is wrong, and infinitely hates it, becaufe it is wrong. And in his whole Conduct as Governour of the World, he ap- pears to be juft what he is at Heart •, an infinite Friend to Right, and an infinite Enemy to Wrong. He takes State^ fets up Himfelf as a GOD, bids all the World adore him, love and obey him, with all their Hearts •, and that upon Pain of eternal Damnation, in Cafe of the leafl Defed : and promifes eternal Life and Glory, in Cafe of perfedt Obedience. This is the Language of his Law, Thou /halt love the Lord thy God with all thy Hearty and thy Neighbour as thy felf. Do this and live. Difobey and die. — And now all that infinite Efteem for himfelf, and infinite Regard for his own Honour, which he herein does mani- feft, does not refult from a proud or a felfifh Spirit : for there is no fuchThing in his Nature. Nor does he threaten Damnation for Sin,becaufe it hurts him -, or promife eternal Life to Obedience, becaufe it does him any good : For he is infinitely above us, and abfolutely independent 'on us, and cannot receive Advantage,orDifadvantage from us. Job 22. 2,3. and 3S'^^7' -^^^ ^^ refults from the infinite Holinefs of his Nature. — He loves and honours himfelf as he does j be- caufe, fince he is what he is, it is right and fit he fhould. He bids the World adore, love & obey him with all their Hearts, becaufe confidering what he is, and what they be, it is infinitely fit and right. He commands us to love our Neighbour as our felves, becaufe this alfo in the Nature of Things is right. And while he promifes eternal Life to the obedient, and threatens eternal Damnation to the dif- obedient, he Ihews how infinitely he loves Righteoufnefs, and hates Iniquity. His promifing eternal Life and Glory to perfed; Obedience, does indeed manifeft the infinite Goodnefs & Bountifulnefs of his N ature : but then his pro- mifing all under the Notion of a Reward., difcovers this Temper of his Heart, his infinite love to Right. As to all his pofitive Injundions, they are evidently dc^ figned to promote a Conformity to the moral Law. And as to the moral Law, it is originally founded upon the very Reafon and Nature of Things. TheDuties required there- in, are required originally becayfc they are right in them- ielves* 2 8 True Religion deli7:eated Dis. L felves. And the Sins forbidden, are forbidden originally, becaufe they are unfit and wrong in themfelves. The in- trinfick fitnefs of the Thing- required, and the intrinfick unfitnefs of the Things forbidden, was the original Ground, Reafon & Foundation of his Law. Thus he bids all the World love him "v^ith all their Hearts •, becaufe he is the Lord their God : and love one another as Brethren,becaufc they are all Children of the fame common Father, having the fame Nature. He requires this fupreme Love to him- felf, and this mutual Love among his Subjedls, becaufe it is right that fo it fhould be •, and becaufe he perfeftly loves that the Thing that is right fhould be done ; and not from any Advantage that can poflibly accrue unto him from the Behaviour of his Creatures. And he forbids the contrary, becaufe it is wrong, and therefore infinitely hateful in his Sight, & not becaufe it could beanyDifadvantage to him. — All the Glory & BlefTednefs which he beftows upon theAn- gels in Heaven under the Notion of a Reward to their 0- bedience^ is not becaufe their Obedience does him any Good -, for it does not : nor becaufe they deferve any Thing from his Hands •, for they do not : {Rom.Ji.2§,^6.) but merely becaufe it is right, that they ihould in all Things obey him. This is what he loves, and what he delights to ho- nour. And all the infinite, eternal Glories of Heaven can but jufl ferve as a fuflicientTeftimony of his Approbation.— So on the other Hand, it was not in a PafTion, or from fuddden ralh Revenge, (which many Times influences fin- ful Men to cruel & barbarous Deeds,) that he turned thofe that finned down into Hell j and for their iiift Offence doomed them to everlafling Wo, without the leaflHope. For there is no fuch Thing in his Nature. As he is not capable of being injured as we be, fo neither is he capable of fuch Anger as we feel. No : the Thing they did, was in itfelf infinitely wrong, and that was the true & only Caufe of his infinite Difpleafure •, which infinite Difplea- fur€, he meant to declare and make known, in the Sight of all Worlds, throughout the endlefs Ages of Eternity, by rend'ring to them according to their Deferts. For he loves to appear as great an Enemy to Sin, in his Conduct, ^s he is in his Heart, He loves to a6l out his Heart, and exhibit and difiingutped fro7n all Counterfeits. 2 9 exhibit a true Image of himfelf. — His infinite Love to Righteoufnefs and hatred of Iniquity, is alfo difplayed in his promifing eternal Life & Bleffednefs to Adam and to all his Racci a whole World of Beings, as a Reward to the Obedience of Adam •, by him conilituted publick Head and Reprefentative ^ on the one Hand :" and threatning eternal Deftrudion to him and all his Race, a whole World of Beings, in Cafe of the leail Tranfgreflion ; on the other Hand. — But his infinite love to Righteoufnefs, and hatred of Iniquity, is manifefted in the greateft Perfedion, in the Death of Jefus Chrift, his only begotten Son. — But of this more afterwards. — In a Word, all theBleffings which he has granted to the godly in this World \ as Rewards of their Vertue ^ to Ahel^ Enochs ?ind^Noab \ to Lot^ to Abra- ham^ Ifaac and Jacob &c : and all the Judgments which he has executed upon the Wicked, his turning Adam out of Paradife, drowning the old World, burning Sodom^ &c. together with all the Evils which befell the Children of Ifrael^ in the Wildernefs, in the Time of the Judges,in the Reigns of their Kings ^ and their long Captivity in Baby- lon &c. have all been publick ^ejtimonies that the righteous Lord loveth Righteoufnefs, and hateth Iniquity. And in Heaven and in Hell, he defigns to difplay to all Eter- nity, in the moft glorious and dreadful Manner, how infi- nitely he loves Righteoufnefs and hates Iniquity. Now when true Believers, who are divinely enlightned, meditate on and view the Laws, the Condudl, and the de- clared Defigns, of the great Governour of the World ; they love, admire and adore -, and fay. Holy, holy, holy. Lord God of Hoils, the whole World is full of thy Glory. This divine Difpofition, to love Righteoufnefs and hate Iniquity, which the great Governour of the World thus difcovers in all his Government, appears infinitely beauti- ful and glorious, excellent and amiable, in their Eyes : Whence they are ready to hy^lVho is like unto thee^ 0 Lordy among the Gods ? Who is like unto thee F Glorious in Holinefs, As they in Exod, 15. 11. "^ (5.) His * If we fhould fuppofe (as fomc do) that'there is nothing right or n.vrong * antecedent to a Confideration of the po/itiw Will and Z^w of God, the great Governour of the World \ And that Right ^lA Wrong refult originally 30 True Religion delineated Dis. I. f5.) His impartial Juftice^ is alfo difcovered in his moral Government of the World. He appears in his publick Condudt, as One infinitely engaged to give to ev ry one their Due : and as One ablbluteiy governed by a Spirit of the moft perfediy difintereficd Impartiality. — He appears as One infinitely engaged to maintain the Rights at the God-head, and to fecure that Glory to the divine Being that is his proper Due •, and that by the Law which he has eftablilhed, in Heaven and on Earth, binding all to love, worfnip and obey him, as GOD, upon Pain of eternal Damnation. And fo again, he appears as One infinitely ensased •o~o" originally from his fonjereign Will and ahfolute Authority entirely ; then thefe manifeft Abfiirditie«^ would unavoidably follow, 1 . That the moral FerfeBions of God are ernpty Names, ivithout any Signijication at all. For if there be no intrinfick moral fitnefs and un- £tnefs in Things,no Right nor Wrong, then there is no fuch Thing as moral Beauty or moral Deformity ; and fo no Foundation in the Na- ture of Things for any moral Propenftty ; i. e. there is nothing for God to love or hate, confidered as a moral Agent. There can be no Inclination or Difpofition in him to love Right and hate Wrong, if there be no fuch Thing as Right or Wrong. So that the only Idea we could frame of God, would be that of an Almighty defpotic So- vereign, who makes his own Will his only Rule, without any Re- gard to right or wrong, good or evil, jufl orunjuft. An Idea of the infinitely glorious and ever-bleiled God, evidently as contrary ta Truth, as can be devifed. 2 . T^hat in the Nature of Things there is no more Reafon to lot'e and ohey Gody than there is to hate cjjd difobey him : There being in the Nature of Things no right nor wrong. Juft as if God was not infi- ritely worthy of our higheft Efteem and moft perfeft Obedience .' And juft as if in the Nature of Things there was no Reafon why we Ihould love and obey Him, but merely becaufe he is the greateft and ftrongeft, and fays we muf ! Than which nothing can be more evidently abfurd. But if thefe Things be fo, then it will follow, 3. That there is no Reafon <^vhy he Jhould require his Creatures to lo^e and obey him, or forbid the contrary : or ivhy he fhould re^ward the one, cr punijh the other : There being in the Nature of Things no Right nor Wrong. And fo the Foundation of God's Law and Government is overturned, and all Religion torn up by the Roots. And nothing IS left but arbitrary Tyranny and fervile Subjedlion. All exprefly contrary to G^«. 18. 25. Heh. i. 9. Eph. 6. i. Rom. 12. i. Re we can fuppofe it to be nvrong, for the infinitely wife GoA, from all Eternity, to .determine upon a ConduSl in all Refpefls n^/f'/ : ^^Ti which nothing fan be more abfird. and dtfitnguijhed from all Counterfeits. 4 1 have fo ordered, that Pharaoh Ihould willingly have let Ifrael go, and he could have led Ifrael in lefs than forty- Days to the pronnifed Land, and put them in an imme- diate PoiTefllon. But there was fomething elfc which he had a greater Regard to : And there! ore Pharaohh Heart is hardened, and all his Wonders are wrought ih the Land of E^ypt. The Tribes of Ifrael march to the Borders of the Red-Sea^ the Sea parts, Ifrael goes thro', but the Egypti- ans are drowned. And now Ifrael is tempted & tried, and they fin and rebel, and fo are doomed to wander forty Years in the Wilderncfs, and to have their Carcafes fall there. And why was all this ? Why — becaufe his De- fign was to difplay all his Perfedions, and fill the whole Earth with his Glory. Exod.^.iG. Numb. i4.,2i. And now, becaufe it is the moft noble Thing that God can have in View, to a6t forth all his Perfediions to the Life, and fo exhibit the m.oft exa6l Reprefentation of himfelf in his Works ; therefore it is infinitely fit he fhouid make this his lail End, and all other Things fubfervient -, and his Condudt in fo doing is infinitely beautiful & glorigus. — ^ Thus we fee how the Goodnefs of God is difplayed in his Governnient of the World ; & fee that it is an unbounded, rich, free Goodnefs •, and that all the Exercifes of it are fovereign, and under the Diredion of his infinite Wifdom : fo that God is infinitely glorious on the Account of this Perfedlon of his Nature. Exod. 33. 19. ^ 34- 5» ^j 7* Rom. 9. Eph. I. I 12. (7.) His unchangeable 'Truth and Faithfulnefs^ is alfo dif- covered in his Government of the World •, and that in the Fulfilment of his Promifes, and the Execution of his Threatnings. Did he promife to be Abrahamh God ? So he was. Did he promife to give the Land of Canaan to his Seed for an Inheritance ? So he did. Did he promife to fend his Son into the World, and to fet him up a King- dom upon Earth ? Even fo he has done. And he is in like Manner true and faithful to all his Promifes, which he has made to his People. — And did he threaten to drown the old World, to make Ifrael wander forty Years in the Wildernefs, to deliver them into the Hands of their Ene- mies, at what Time foever they fhouid forfake him, and go 43 True Religion delineated Dis, I. go and ferve other Gods, and finally to fend them Cap- tives into Babylon for feventy Years ? Even fo he has done. God's Word may always be depended upon : for what he defigns, that he fays •, and what he fays, that he will do. And this \s another of the glorious Perfedions of his Nature. Thus all the Perfections of God are difcovered in his Government of the World. By his ConduB we may fee what he /V, and learn the very Temper of his Heart. And now, I might go thro' his other Works, His redeem- ing, juftifying, fandifying Sinners, and bringing them to eternal Glory at laft, and fhew how his glorious Perfefti- ons fhine forth in them. But I have already hinted at fome of thefe Things, and fhall have Occafion afterwards to view the divine Perfections fhining forth in thefe Works of God, when I come to confider the Nature of the Gofpel. Suf- ficient has been faid to anfwer my prefent Purpofe ; and therefore forBrevity's Sake, I will proceed no further here. — Thus then we fee, how the Perfedions of God are mani- fcfted in his Works, Secondly. T^he fame Reprefentation is made of God in his Word. For thefe great Works of God, his creating, preferving & governing the World, his redeeming, fandi- fying and faving of Sinners, are the Subjed-Matter of all the Bible. God in his Works ads out his Perfedions, and in his Word lays thp whole before our Eyes in Wri- ting. Therein he has told us what he has done, and what he intends to do j and fo has delineated his glorious Per- fedions in the plaineft Manner. — In his Word^ God has revealed himfelf to the Children of Men, has manifefted and Ihewn what he is. But how ? Why, by declaring and holding forth his Works, as that, in which he has exhi- bited the Image of himfelf. Thus, the Scriptures begin with an Account of God's creating the World, and goes on throughout all the old Teftament informing, how he preferves & governs it. And then in the New-Teftament we are informed more particularly how he rcdeems,juftifies, fendifies,and faves Sinners. And now, as theAdions of a Man difcover the Temper & Difpofition of his Heart, and Ihew what he is : fo the Works of God from firft to laft, and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 43 laft, all taken together, hold forth an exadl Reprefenta- tion of himfelf. If we will begin with God's creating the World, and furvey all his Condud in the Light of Scrip- ture •, his Condud towards Man before the Fail, and alter the Fall, his Condud towards Abel and Cain^ Enoch and Noah^ and all the oldWorld, his Condudl towards Lot and Sodomy towards Abraham^ Ifaac and Jacobs and Jofeph^ to- wards the Children of Ifrael^ in Egypt^ at the Red-Sea^ in the iVildernefsy at Sinaiy at Majfahy at Taberah, &:c. and in the Times of Jojhmy of their Judges, of their Kings,&c. And then come into the New Teftament, and furvey his Condud with Relation to the Redemption & Salvation of Sinners, and then look forward to the great Judgment- Day, and fee his whole Scheme finilhed, fee the Refult, the Conclufion and End of all ; look up to Heaven and take a View of that World, and look down to Hell and furvey the State of Things there •, from the whole we may fee WHAT God is : for in the whole, God exerts his Nature, and by the whole God defigns to exhibit an ex- ad Reprefentation of Himfelf. And then are our Appre- henfions of God right and according to 'Tnithy when wc take in that very Reprefentation which he has made of himfelf. And now to account him infinitely glorious in being what he is, and to love him with all our //i?<^r/j,becaufe he is what he is,is the veryThing which the Law of God requires. And indeed, fo plain is that Reprefentation which God has made of himfelf by his Works and in his Word ; and he is really fo infinitely glorious in being what he is, that were not Mankind, thro their exceeding great Depravity, intircly void of a right ^afie and Relifh for true Beauty^ they could not but be even ravifhed with the divineBeing. They would naturally feel as they do in Heaven, and na- turally fpeak their Language, Holy^ holy^ holy^ is the Lord 0f Hofis V the whole Earth is full of his Glory ! ( IfaL 6. 3.) But fuch is the vile Temper of finful apoftate Crea- tures, that they are not only blind to the moral Excellency of the divine Nature, but are even in a Hated, habitual Contrariety to God in the Frame of their Hearts. (Rom. 8. 7.) And hence, the Manifeftation which God has made of Himfelf,canfindnoPlac€ in theirHearts.O*.8.37.)They can- True Religion delineated Dis. I. cannot attend to Things of fuch a Nature {ver. 43.) becaufe fo difagreable to their Tafte. For {yer. 47 J He that is of God^ heareth God's Words : ye therefore hear them not^ becaufe ye are not of God. 'Tis hard, to bring unregenerate Men fo much as to have right Notions of what God is, becaufe he is a Being in his Nature fo contrary & difagreable to them. They do not like to retain God in their Knowledge, {Rom, I. 28.) Men had rather that God was another Kind of a Being, different from what he really is, and more like themfelves, one that would fuit their Temper, and ferve their Intereft ♦, and therefore they frame fuch a one in their own Fancy, and then fall down and worfhip the falfe Image which they have fet up. From hence it is, that all thofe falfe Notions of God have taken their Rife, which have always filled the World. — But were Men brought to have right Notions of what God is, and to take in that very Reprefentation, which he has made of Himfelf, by his Works and in his Word ; yet they would be fo far from accounting him infinitely glorious in being what he is, that they would fee no Form or Comelinefs in him wherefore they fhould deftre him : But would feel the like malignant Spirit towards him, as the Jews did to- wards their Prophets, and towards Chrift and hisApoftles ; only in a worfe Degree. The fame Temper which caufed the Exercife of fuch Enmity towards their Prophets, and towards Chrift and hisApoftles, would have caufed as great or greater towards God himfelf, had they but had right Notions of him. And the clearer Apprehenfion- a Sinner has of God, the more will his Enmity exert itfelf ; becaufe a finful Nature and a holy Nature are diametri- cally oppofite to each other. And therefore the cleareft external Revelation of God cannot bring Sinners to love him. All the World will fee juft what a Kind of a Being he is at the Day of Judgment, and that in a very plain and clear manner : But yet they whofe Nature it is to hate him for being what he is, will hate him ftill ; yea, hate him more than ever. And therefore, befides the external Revelation which God has made of himfelf by his Works and in his Word, there is an abfolute Neceflity that he Ihould internally reveal hiipfelf in his Glory to the Heart of and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 45 of a Sinner, in order to beget divine Love there. Which brings me to add. Thirdly, God reveals his infinite Glory^ in being what he is, in the Hearts of Sinners^ by his holy Spirit. Mat, ii. 25, — 27. • By his Works and in his Word he has re- vealed what he is, and that in a Manner fufficiently plain, even fo plainly, that there is no Need at all of any further objedtive Revelation : and he is really infinitely glorious in being what he is. Now therefore if we would rightly at- tend to that Revelation which God has made of Himfelf, we could not but have right Apprehenfions of Him ; and if we had a good Tafte for true Beauty, we could not but be ravilhed with his Glory : but we are naturally difinclin- ed to right Apprehenfions of God, and are entirely deflitute of a trueTafte foi^oral Beauty. And hence we may learn what Kind of inward Illumination we ftand in Need of from the Spirit of God. We do not need the holy Spirit to reveal any new 'Truths concerning God, not already revealed •, for the external Revelation which he has made of himfelf, is fufficiently full We do not need to have the holy Spirit immediately reveal all thefe Truths con- cerning God over again to us, by Way of objective Revela- tion, or immediate Infpiration •, becaufe the external Reve- lation already made \% fufficiently plain. — We only need (i.) to be eiFedually awakened,to attend to thofe Manifeftations which he has made of himfelf in his Works and Word, that we may fee what he is: And (2.) to have 2ifpiritual Tafle imparted to us, by the immediate Influence of the Holy Ghoft, that we may have a Senfe of his infinite Glory in being ftich : For thefe two will lay an eff'edual Foundation in our Hearts for that Love, which the Law requires. — By the common Influences of the Spirit, we may be awakened to a realizing Sight and Senfe of what God is -, and by the fpecial and fandlifying Influences of the Spirit, we may re- ceive a Senfe of his infinite Glory in being fuch. And alfo the Senfe of his Glory will naturally caufe us to fee more clearly what God is : for a Senfe of the moral Excellency of the divine Nature fixes our Thoughts on God, and the more ourThoughts are fixed,the more difl:in6tly we fee what ha is. And while we fee him to be what he is, and fee his infinite 46 True Religion d.eli?ieated Dis L infiniteGlory in being fuch,hereby a divine Love is naturally enkindled in our Hearts. And thus,i7f Xemper^ diametrically oppofite to the Icm, Rojtn. 8. 7, 70 True Religion delineated Dis. I. they differ ; which is Right, and which is Wrong.^ But fo much for the firft Inference, that the Lav: as 2. Ride ofLuty^ cannot be repealed or abated. And now to proceed, 2. From what h is been faid it is evident, that the Lazv in its nreatnings of eternalDamnation for the leafi Sin^ is equally iincapabk cf any Repeal or Abatement, — For if our Obliga- tion,to love God with all ourHearts and obey him in every Thing,refulting from the divine Perfedlions, is infinite,eter- nal, and unchangeable ; and if therefore the leafl: Sin necef- farily be infinitelyEvil, and deferving of an infinite Punifh- ment, and unalterably fo •, then theLaw confidered as threat- ning eternal Damnation for the leaft Sin, is in its ov/n Na- ture unalterably holy and juft : And confequently it cannot be repealed, confiftcntly with thellolinefs, Juftice, andHo- nour of the great Governour of the World. If theGover- nour of the World had, in a mere arbitrary Manner^ made a Law, that Sin Ihouldbe puniihed with eternal Damnation; then he might, in 2imere arbitrary Manner^ have repealed it : But fince, in the Nature of Things, Juftice called for //,that fuch a Lav/ fhould be made, therefore fo long as theGrounds and Reafons of the Law remain, the Law canni^t, mjufticey be repealed. None can deny, but that the great Governour of the World has afluaily made a Law, that Sin Ihall be punifh- cd with eternal Damnation : And none can deny, but that this Law is to be put in Execution, to the full, at and af- ter the great Judgment-Day. But if Juftice had not called for ity furely the infinitely good Governour of the World would never have made fuch a Law ; much lefs would he ever put it in Execution. For to make and execute fuch a Law, in a merely arbitrary fovereign Maimer, when in the. Nature of Things Jvfiice does not call for it, would be infi- nitely cruel and tyrannical, and perfedly inconfiftent with the divine Fetfedions j as is felf-evident. See Gen, 18. 25. 'e ought not to have divine Worjhif paid him : I fay, by the fame Argument, if God were 7 8 True Peligion deU7ieated Dis. I. were not by Nature GOD, it could not upon any Account be Right and our Duty, to love and worihip him as God, It is his being by Nature God, his being what he is, and his infinite Excellency in being fuch, which therefore lays the original Foundation of all our Obligations, and which gives Life and Energy to all. And accordingly we may obferve, that the original Ground and Realbn upon which God, as Governour ot the Wcrld, a6ls, in making a J^ai^ that we fliould love him with all our Hearts^ is, becaufe he is the Lord, As is evident from the Tenor of the Law it felf Thou /halt love the LORD &c. /. e. Becaufe he is the LORD, &c. Yea, it is upon this Ground originally that God takes it upon him to give all his L^ws to us •, for this is the conftant Style, ^tis and thus Jhall ye do:, FOR I AM \ 47. ) In Truth, the Bottom of all your Enmity is, that you are cf your Fa- ther the Bevil^ i. e. of juil fuch a Temper as he. ( y-. 44. ) And now, what think you, when Chrilt comes in flaming Fire, to take Vengeance on an ungodly World, will he blame the Scribes and Fbarifees for not loving him with *li their Hearts, cr no ? Or will he excufe the Matter, and lay on ti:eir Behalf, ^bey could fee no Form 7ior Cctnelinefs in TAC^ I appeared very odious to thein^ they could net love nie^ they could 7iot hut hate me^ and no Man is to blame for 7tct doi::g m:rc tb:in he CAN? From tlie Vv-Iiole it is plain, that Mankind are to blame, ^rhoily to blame, and perfectly inexcufable, for their no: .lavini^; rlgiit Apprchcnilcns of Gcd, and for their not hav* ing a Scnfe of iiri Glory in being vvhat he is, and for their not lovirig Ivim with ail their Hearts ; becaufe all is Owing meerly to thr:ir v/aiit of a right Temper, and to the b%d DifrjoJition of their Flearts. Y^y Indeed, if we were altogether of fuch a Temper, Frame vindDifporir.ion of i-Ieart as we ought to be, it would be ai- togcilicr as caly and naturji to loveGod with all ourHearts, OS it is ior die moll dutifulCluld to love a tender and valu- ubk Parent. For God is rcaiiy infinitely amiable ; and wer^ we and diliinguijhed fro7n all Counterfeits 103 we of Rich a Temper, he would appear fo in our Eyes ; and did he appear lb in ourEyes,we could not but love him with all ourHearts,& delight in him with all ourSouls •, and it would be mod eafy & natural fo to do. For noMan ever found anyDifficultyin loving that which appears very amia- ble in hisEyes. For the Proof of which I appeal to theExpe- rience of allMankind. — And now, why does notGod appear infinitely amiable inourEyes ? Is it becaufe he has not clearly revealed what he is, in his Works and in his Word ? Surely no. For the Revelation is plain enough. Is it becaufe he is not infinitely amiable in being what he is ? Surely no. For ail Heaven are ravifhed with his infinite Beauty. What is it then that makes us blind to the infinite Excellency of the divine Nature ? W^hy, it can be owing to nothing,but to a bad Temper of Mind in us, and to our not being of fuch a Difpofition as we ought to be. For I appeal to the Experience of all Mankind, whether thofe Perfons and Things, which fuit the Temper of their Hearts, do not naturally appear amiable in their Eyes. — And certainly if God does not fuit the Temper of our Hearts, it is not owing to any Fault in him, but the Fault muft be wholly in our felves. If the Temper and Difpofition of God (f, e, his moral Perfc6tions, ) be not agreeable to our Temper and Difpofition, mofl; certainly our Temper and Difpofition is very wrong. If God were your Father, ye would love me ; but ye are of your Father the Devil, therefore you hate me. (Jok 8. 42, 44,) ;'. e. *' If you were of a Temper like God, ye would love me, but being of a contrary Temper, hence you hate me. If you were of a right Temper, I ihould appear amiable unto you j and it is wholly owing to your bad Temper, that I appear otherwife. If ye were Abraham*^ Children^ ye would do the Works of Abraham''' ( /. 39. ) O^j. But be it fo, yet I cannot help being of fuch % "Temper as I am of •, how therefore am I wholly to Blame ? Ans. You have as much Power to help being of fuch a Temper, as the Scribes and Pharifees had •, but Chrift judged them to be wholly to Blame, and altogether inex- cufable. They could not like Chrift or his Do6trine ; Te CJNNOT hear my Word, fays Chrift. ( :i^. 43. ) but their CANNOT^ their Inability was noExcufe to them in Chrift*s H 4 Account > 104 True Religion delineated Dis. L Account : Becaufe all their Inability, he plainly faw, arofe from their bad Temper, and their want of a good Difpofi- tion. And alth..' they had no more Fewer to help being of fiich a Temper than you have, yet he judged them wholly to blame, and altogether inexcufable. i^Joh, 8. 33 — 47. Job. 15. 22 — 25.) And now we" know, that his Judg- ment is according to 'Truth. But in order to help you to fee into the Reafon of the lliing, I deiire you fenoufly and impartially to confider, I. That Sinners are free and voluntary in their bad Temper, A wicked World have difcovered a very ilrong Difpofition to hate God, even from the Beginning. And the Jeivijh Nation, God's own peculiar People, of whom, if of any, we might hope for better Tilings, w^ere fo averfe to God and his Ways, that they hated and murdered the MelTen- gers v/hich he fent to reclaim them, and at lad even mur- dered God's own Son. — And now, v/hcnce was all this ? Why, from the exceeding bad and wicked Temper of their Hearts. They have hated ?nezvithout a Caiife. Joh. 15. 25. — But did any ^od.y force them to be of fuch a bad Temper ? Surely no •, they were hearty in it. Were they of fuch a bad Temper againft their JVills ? Surely no •, Their JViUs^ their Hearts were in it. Yea, they loved their bad Temper, and loved to gratify it ; and hence .were mightily pleafed with their falfe Prophets, becaufe they always propheficd in their Favour, and fuited and gratified their Difpofition. And they hated whatfoever was difagreable to their bad Temper, and tended to crofs it •, and hence were they fo enrao-ed at the preaching and the Perfons of their Prophets, of Chrift and his Apoilles. So that they were manifefliy voluntary and hearty in their bad Temper. fFe have loved Strangers and after them we WILL go. Jer. 2. 25. But t:^ for theS^ord which thou haft fpoken unto us in the Narr^e cf tjoc Lord, we IVILL NOT hearken unto thee. Jer. 44. 16, Aid the L')rd God of their Fathers fent to them by his Meffcn^ gcrs^rifing up betimes, and fending •, becaufe he had Compcjfion en his People, and on his Dw el ling-Place : but they -mocked the Melfengers of God^ and defpifed his IVords^ and mifufcd his Propheh, &c. 2 Cron. 36. 15, 16. And fo all wicke4 Meii a^-e as vohyitary in their bad Temper as they w§rc. The a7id dijlinguifpcd from all Cotmterfeits, 105 The Temper of the Mind is nothing but the habitual Incli- nation of the Heart. But an involuntary Inclination of the Heart is a Contradidion. And the ilronger any IncHnation isjthe more full and free the Heart andSoulis intheThing. Hence the bad Temper or the habitual bad Inclination of the Devil is at the fartheft Diilance from any Compulfion ; he is moil perfectly free and hearty in it. And all finful Creatures being thus voluntary^ free and hearty in the bad Temper of then-Minds i or in other Words, the bad Tem- per of the Mind being nothing but the habitual Inclination oi the Hearty hence ail mufc be to Blame in a Degree equal to the Strength of their bad Inclination. — In a Word, if we were continually forced to be of fach a bad Temper, entirely againji our TVills^ then we fnould not be to Blame ; for it would not be at all the Temper of our Hearts : but fo long as our bad Temper is nothing elfe but the habitual Franie^ Bifpofttion and Inclination of our OWN HEARTS, without any Manner of Compulfion, we are perfedlly withoutExcufe, and that whether we can help being of fuch a Temper, or no. For, 2. If a finful Creature's not being able to help his being of a had Temper^ does in the leaft free him fromBlafne •, then the more vile and finful any Creature grows ^ the lefs toBlame will he he : Becaufe the more vile and finful anyCreature grows, the ieis able is he to help his being of fo bad a Frame of Heart. — Thus, if a Man feels a bad Spirit towards one of his Neighbour's creeping into his Heart,perhaps if he im- mediately refills it, he may be able eafiiy to overcome and iupprefs it ; but if he gives Way to it, and fuiTers it to take llrong hold of his Heart j if he cherilhes it until it grows up into a fettled Enmity, and keeps it in his Heart for twenty Years, feeking all Opportunities to gratj^ it,by backbiting, defaming, &c. it will now, perhaps, flpclean out of his Power to get rid of it, and effedually root it out of hisHeart. It will at leaft be a very difHcultThing. — Now the Man is talked to, and blamed for backbiting and defaming his Neighbour, Time after Time, and is urged to love his Neighbour as himfelf, but he fays, he cannot love him, — But why can't you ? For otherMen love him. — lV}:>y he appears in my Eyes the moft odious and hateful Man in the io6 True Religion delineated Dis. I. the World. Yes, but that is owing to your own bad Temper. — Well., hut I can't help my Temper^ and therefore I am not to Blame. Now, it is plain in this Cafe, how weak the Man's Plea is -, and even common Senfe will teach all Mankind to judge him the more vile and blame- worthy, by how much the more his Grudge is fettled and rooted. And yet the more fettled and rooted it is, the more unable is he to get rid of it. And jull fo it is here. Suppofe a Creature loved God with all his Heart, but after a while begins to feel his Love abate, and an Averfion to God fecretly creeping into his Soul ; now perhaps he might eafily fupprefs and overcome it. But if he gives Way to it, until he lofes all Senfe of God's Glory, and fettles into a State of Enmity againft him, it may be quite impoflible ever to recover himfelf. And yet he is not the lefs, but the more vile, and fo the more blame- worthy. li' then we are fo averfe to God, that we cannot love him •, and if our bad Temper is fo ftrong, fo fettled and rooted, that we cannot get rid of it ; this is fo far from being Matter of Excufe for us, that it renders us fo much the more vile, guilty and Hell-deferving. For to fuppofe that our Ina- bility in this Cafe extenuates our Fault, our Inability which increafes in Proportion to our Badnefs, is to fuppofe that the worfe any Sinner grows, the lefs to Blame he is. Than which, nothing can be more abfurd. Ob J. But I was brought into this State by Adam's Fall. Ans. Let it be by Adarn^ Fall, or how it will •, yet if you are an Enemy to the infinitely glorious God your Maker, and that voluntarily ; you are infinitely to Blame, and without Excufe. For nothing can make it right for a Creature to be a voluntary Enemy to his glorious Creator, or pofflbly excufe fuch a Crime. It is in its own Nature infinlHy Wrong ; there is nothing therefore to be faid ; you fland guilty before God. — It is in vain to make this, or any other Pleas, fo long as we are, what wc are not by Compulfion, but voluntarily. And it is in vain to pretend -that we are not voluntary in our Corruptions, when they are nothing elfe, but the free, fpontaneous Inclinations of our own Hearts. Since this is the Cafe, every Mouth will he flopped^ and all the World become guilty before Gody fooner or later. — r- Thus and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 107 Thus we fee, that as to a natural Capacity all Mankind are capable of a perfect Conformity to God's Law, which re- quires us only to love God with all our Hearts ; and that ail our Inability arifes mcerly from the bad Temper of our Hearts, and our want of a good Difpofition ; and that therefore we are wholly to blame and altogether inexcufable. Our Impotency, in one Word, is not natural^ but morale and therefore iailcad of extenuating^ does magnify and in-^ hance our Fault. The more unable to love God we are, the more be we to Blame. Even as it was with the JewSy the greater Contrariety there was in their Hearts, to their Pro- phets, to Chrift and his Apoilles, the more vile and blame- worthy were they. * And in this Light do the Scriptures conftantly view the Cafe. There is not one Tittle in the Old Teftament or in the New, in the Law or in the Gof- pcl, that gives the leail Intimation of any Deficiency in our natural Faculties. The Law requires no more than ALL our Hearts, and never blames us for not having larger na- tural Capacities. The Gofpel aims to recover us to love God ONLY with ALL our Hearts, but makes no Provi- ilon for our having any new natural Capacity. As to our natural * Ob J. But fays a fecure Sinner, Surely there is no Contrariety in tnyHeart to Gody I jie^cer hated God in my Life, I alnva-^s lo'ved him. Ans. The Scribes and Pharifees verily thought that they loved God, and that if they had lived in the Days of their Fathers, they would not have put the Prophets to Death. They were altogether infenfible of the perfe£l Contrariety of their Hearts to the divine Nature. And whence was it ? Why, they had wrong Notions of the divine Being, and they loved that falfe Image which they had framed in their own Fancies. And fo they had wrong Notions of the Prophets which their Fathers hated and murdered, and hence imagined that they Diould have loved them. But they faw a little what a Temper and Difpofition Chrift was of, and him they hated with a perfefli^ktred. So there are Multitudes of fecure Sinners and felf-dcceived Hy^crites, who verily think they love God, neverthelefs as foon as ever they open their Eyes in Eternity, and fee juft what God is, their Love will vaniih, and their Enmity break out and exert it felf to PerfefUon. So that the Reafon Sinners fee not their Contrariety to the divine Na- ture, is their not feeing what God is. It muft be fo. For a fmful Nature and an holy Nature are diametrically oppofite. So much as there is of a fmfulDifpofition in theHeart,fo much of Contrariety is there to the divine Nature. If therefore we are not fenfible of this Contrariety, it can be owing to nothing but our Ignorance of God, or not believing him to be what he really is. Rom, 7. 8, 9. io8 True Relmon delineated Dis. I. o natural Capacities, all is well. It is in our Temper, in the Frame and Difpofition of our Hearts, that the Seat of all our Sinfulnefs lies. Ezek. 12.2. Son of Man^ thou dwellejf in the midft of a rebellious Houfe^ which have Eyes to fee^ and fee nct^ they have Ears to hear^ and hear not : for they are a REBELLIOUS Houfe. This is the Bottotn of the Bufi- nefs. We have Eyes to fee, and Ears to hear, and his Glory ihines all around us, in the Heavens and in the Earth, in his Word and in his Ways •, and his Name is proclaimed in our Ears •, and there is nothing hinders our feeing and hearing, but that we are rebellious Creatures. Our Contrariety to God makes us blind to the Beauty of the divine Nature, and deaf to all his Commands, Counfels- Calls and Invitations. We might know God, if we had a Heart to know him •, and love God, if we had a Heart to love him. It is nothing but our bad Temper and being deilitute of a right Difpofition. that makes us fpiri- tually blind and fpiritually dead. If this Heart of Stone was but away, and a Heart of Flefh was but in us, all would be well. We fhould be able enough to fee and hear and underftand and know divine Things j and fhould be ravilhed with their Beauty \ and. it would be mofl natural and eafy to love God with all our Hearts. And hence it is mofl evident,that the fupremeGovernour of the World has not the lead Ground or Reafon to abate his Law, or to reverfe the Threatning •, nor have a rebelli- ous World the leaft Ground or Reafon to charge God with Cruelty, and fay, " It is not jufi^ that he fhould require " more than we can do, and threaten to damn us for not *' doing." For, from what has been faid, it is manifeil that the Law is holy^juft and good. And that there is no- thingja the Way of our perfedt Conformity to it, but our own BTickednefs, in which we are free and hearty and voluntary ; and for which, therefore, in ftridl Juftice, we deferve eternal Damnation. The Law is already exadbly upon a Level with our natural Capacities, and it need no: therefore be brought any lower. And there is no greater Punilhment threatened than our Sin deferves, there is there- fore no Reafon the Threatning fhould be reverfed. As to the Law, all is well, and there is no need of any Alteration. ^ And and difltnguijhed from all Counterfeits^ 109 And there is nothing amiis, but in our felvcs. It is impu- dentWickednefs therefore to fly in theFace ofGod and of his holyLaw,and charge him with Injuftice & Cruelty j becaufe, forfooth, we hate him fo bad, that we cannot find it in our Hearts to love him -, and are fo high-hearted and flout, that we muft not be blamed. No, we are too good to be blamed in the Cafe, and all the Blame therefore muft be- cafl upon God and his holy Law. — Yea, we are come to that, in this rebellious World, that if God fends to us the News of Pardon and Peace thro' Jefus Chrifl, and in- vites us to return unto him and be reconciled, we are come to that, I fay, as to take it as an high Affront at the Hands of the Almighty. '' He pretends to offer us Mercy," (fay God-hating, God-provokingSinners,) " but he only mocks " us. For he offers all upon Conditions, which we can- '^ not poffibly perform." — This is as if they fhould fay, *' We hate him fo much, and are of fo high a Spirit, that " we cannot find in our Flearts to return, and own the " Law to be jufl,by which we fland condemned, and look " to his free Mercy thro' Jefus Chrifl for Pardon and eter- ^^ nal Life •, and therefore if he will offer Pardon and eter- " nal Life upon no eaficr Terms, he does but diffemble " with us, and mock and deride us in our Mifery." And fince this is the true State of the Cafe, therefore it is no wonder, that even infinite Goodnefs it felf, has fixed upon a Day, when the Lord Jefus fhall be revealed from Heaven, with his mighty Angels, in flaming Fire, to take Vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrifl. And then fball un- godly Smners be convinced of all their hard Speeches, which they have ungodlily fpoken againfl the Lord. And then fhall the Righteoufnefs of all God's Ways be made manifeft before all the World. jk To conclude, God, the great Lord of all, has threatned eternal Damnation againfl all thofe, who do not perfe6lly keep the Law ^ ( Gal. 3. 10. ) even al'tho' they live and die in the midfl of the Heathen World. Rom. i. 18, 19, 20. { of which more afterwards.) And at the Day of Judgment he will execute the Thrcatiiing upon all, (thofe only ex- cepted, that are by Faith intereHed in Chrifl and in the New- no True Religion deli?ieated Dis. I. New-Covenant : ) and his fo doing will evidently be juili- fiable in the Sight of ail Worlds on this Ground, viz. That they were not under a n^Jural NecrJ/ity of Sinning, but wTre altogether ^vV?/??/.r/-_)' in theirDirobedience. Luk. 19. 27. But thofe 7mnc ENEMIES iiohixh WOULD NOT that IjlooiiU reign ever them, bring hither and flay them before me. And /fo, by the Way, is the very Ihing, which flops the Mouth of an awakened, convinced, humbled Sinner, and fettles him down in it, that he deferves to be damned, notwithilanding ail his Dei rigs \ viz. that he is what he is, not by Compilfioji^ or thro' a natural Neceffity,, but altoge- ther voluntarily. — There is nothing more difxicult in the v/hole Work preparatory to Converfion, than to make the Sinner fee and feel and own, that it is juft, quite iull, alto- gether juft and fair, for God to damn him. He pleads, that he isforryfor alibis Sins^and is "jvilling to fcrfake them all for ei'er^ and is refclved always to do as well as he can. He pleads, that he carit help his Hearfs hcing fo bad,, that he did not bring himfelf into that Co/iditicn., but that he was brought into it by the Fall of Adam, which he could yict prjfibly pre- vent^ and which he had no Hand in. But when he comes in a clear and realizing Manner to fee and feel the whole Truth ; viz. That he does not care for God, nor defire to, but is really an Enemy to him in his very Hearty and volun- tarily fo, and that all his fair Pretences, and Promifes, Prayers, and Tears are but meer Hypocrify, arifing only from Self-love, and guilty Fears, and nqercenary Hopes, — NOW the Bufinefs is done. For fays he, // matters not how I came into tins Condition^ nor whether I can help having fo bad a Hearty ftnce I am voluntmly jufl fuch a one as I am^ a7id really love and choofe to be what I be. Rom. 7. S, 9. Sin revived and I died. He feels himfelf withoutEx- cufe, .and that his Mouth is flopped, and that he mufl be forced to own the Sentence jufl : for he feels that it is not owing to any Compulfion or natural Neceffity^ but that he is voluntarily and heartily fuch a one as he is. And 710W., and not till now^ does he feel himfelf to be a Sinner, compleatly fo i for he, all along before, fancied fome Goodnefs to be in him, and thought himfelf in fome Meafure excufable. And 7iGw^ ar^d not till new., is he prepared to attribute his Salvation and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 1 1 1 Salvation entirely to free and fovereign Grace. All along before he had {oiv.tt\i\n%tG fay for himfclf^ like thcPbarifee. But with the Publican, he nozv fees that he lies at Mercy. Luk, 1 8. 13. This is the very Thing that makes all Mankind to blame, altogether to blame, for being what they be, namely, that they arc voluntarily fo ; this is the Reafon they deferve to be damned for being fo, and this when feen and felt by the awakened Sinner effedlually Hops his Mouth. And this alfo is the very Thing that makes Believers fee themfelves wholly to blame for not being perfectly holy, and lays a Foundation for their mourning for their want of a -perfect Conformity to the Law. They feel their Defedls are not theRefult of a natural Neceffity^ but only of the Re- mains of their old Averfion to God, which, fo far as they are unfanclified, they are voluntary in. * And hence they cry * Ob J. " But does not St. Paul fay in Rom. 7. 1 8. To ^^111, is prefent *' ivith jne ; but hciu to perform that nAjhich is gcod^ I find 7Wt .'^" Ans. 'Tis true, he had a ftrong Difpofition to be perfeclly holy, but his Difpofition was not perfeft. He had a ftrong Difpofition to love God fupremely, live to him entirely, and delight in him wholly, but his whole Heart was not perfedly difpofed to do fo. There was a Spirit of averfion to God and love to Sin remaining in him. In me, that isy in jny Fle/h, divells no good Thing. And this was the Ground and Caufe of all his Impotency. So that when he fays, To ivill is prefent ^'ith 7ne, but hor7ial, fold under Sin, t'er. 14. O ^wretched Man that I am, vcr. 24. Like a broken-hearted Penitent. But he could not have mourned ioT his remaining Corruption as being/»/«/, if he had not felt himfelf to Blame for it. and diJ}i7tguiJJjedfrG9H all Counterfeits. 113 But that the World, fliould in Fa6t, rife in Arms, and put tiie MelTengers of Heaven to Death, feems to argue En- Wiity avA M^lice^- even to Perfe^fion. — It is Men's Badnefs, ihat keeps th^ from taking in right Apprehenfions of God, and that makes them bhnd to the Beauty of the divine Nature, and that makes them hate God, inftead of loving of him. ; but for this^ they would love God of their o'zvn 'Acco7'dy^\t\\o\\i TiiVj more ado. If God were your Fa- ther ^{{'a,ys Chrift) JVC' would love me •, ye are of yourFather the Devil^ therefore ye hate me. Surely then all the World are inexcufable and wholly to blame for their continuance in Sin, and jiiftly deferve eternal Damnation at the Hands of God, as was before fald. Nor is it any Excufe, to fay, '^ God does not give me fcfficient Grace to make me " better •," whenas I might love God, with all my Heart, of my own Accord, with all the Eafe in the World, if I were but of a right Temper. Yea, fuch is his Glory and Beauty, that I could not but be ravifhed with it, were I fuch as I ought to be •, and my needing any fpecial Grace tfo make me love God, argues that I am an Enemy to him, a vile abominable Wretch, not fit to live. And to pretend to excufe my felf, and fay, " I can't, andGod won't make " me," is juft as bad as if a rebellious Child fhould go to his good Father, and fay, " I hate you, and can't love you, " and God won't by his almighty Power make me better ; •' and therefore I be not to Blame." Whenas the Wretch could not but love his good Father, were it not that he is fo exceedingly vitiated in his Temper. If our Impo- tency confilled in and refulted from our want of natural Capacities, if it was the Bulinefs of the holy Spirit to give us new natural Faculties, then w^e might plead our Inabili- ty, and plead God's not giving of us fufficient Power, in Excufe for our felves. But fince all our Impotency takes it's Rife entirely from another Quarter, and all our need of the Influences of the holy Spirit to bring us to love God refults from oiir Badnefs, therefore are we without Excufe, altho' God leaves us entirely to our felves. And indeed nothing can be more abfard,than to fuppofe theGovernour of the World obliged to make his Creatures love him, in fpight of all their Averfion , or more wicked, than to lay I the 114 True Religion delineated Dis. L the Blame^ of their not loving of him, upon bimy in Cafe he does not. Jer, 7. 8, 9, 10, 16. Ob J. But if it he granted^ that Mens natural Powers art adequate with the haw of God^and fo they^ as to their natural Capacities, are capable cf a perfect Ccnfcrmity to the Law ; and if it be granted^ that the outward Advantages ^ which all have who live under the Gofpel^ are fufjicient^ were Men but cf a righfTemper^ to lead them to the trueKnowledge ofGcd^ and foy that all fuch are without Excufe : yet if any Part of Man- kind do not enjoy fufjicient outward Advantages for the true Kyiowledge of Gcd^ without which it is impoffible they fhould either love or ferve him, how can fuch juftly and fairly be accounted altogether to blame and wholly inexcufable ? If the Heathen, who have no other outward Advantages whereby to gain the true Knowledge of Cod, than the Works cf Creation and Providence, do but honejlly improve what they have, fhall not they be accepted, althd* they fall fhort of ftnlefs Perfe^ion ? or is it right and fair, that they fi^ould he damned ? Ans. I fappofe, that thofe Advantages, which all Man- kind do adlually enjoy, would be fuHicicnt to lead them to a true K;iOv/ledge of God, and fo to love and ferve him, were they of a right Difpofition, and were it not for the Prejudices that blind and darken their Minds, which arife from their Enmity to God, and Love to themfelves, the World and Sin. Rom. i. 20, 28. And I fuppofe, that God, the wife, and holy, juft and good Governour of the World, is under no natural Obligation, to ufe any fuper- natural Means, for the removal of thofe Prejudice ; {Rom. 9. 15.) efpecialiy confidering that Men love them, and are obftinate in them, and will not let them be removed if they can help it, as is in Fad the Cafe. Rom, i. 18, 28. Joh. 3. 19. And I fuppofe, that fince the Law is holy, juft and good, that nothing fliorc of finlefs Periedion can, or ought to, pafs with the lupreme Lawgiver and Judge of the "^ Worlds as a Condition of Acceptance. Gal. 3. 10. R.om. 3. 20. And I fuppofe, that God was under no Obligations to provide a Saviour to bear the Curfe of the Lav/ and anfwer its Demands for any, fince all are volun- tarily at Enmity againft him and his Law. Rom. 5. 8. — • Upon the whole, I fuppofe, that all Mankind might have been and di/iinguijhed frcm all Counterfeits, 115 been left in their fallen State, without a Saviour, or any otfers of Pardon and Peace, or any fupernatural Advanta- ges whatfoever ; and that yet their natural Obligations to love God with all their Hearts, would have by no Means ceafed -, and that it would have been perfedly juft and right with God, to have inflidled eternal Damnation upon us, for our not doing fo. Rom. i 18. & 3. 19. And befides, I fuppofe, that all the Nations of the Earth might have had the Gofpel preached to them, and to this Day enjoyed it, had not the World been in Arms againil it, and killed the MeiTengers of Peace, who were fent to carry the glad Tidings of Pardon and Salvation round the World. Mat. 28. 19. And I fuppofe, that ftill in every Age of the Chriftian Church, there have been Mmiflers of Chriil, who would gladly go to the farthefl: Parts of the Earth, to carry 'the joyful News of a Saviour, were Men but willing to receive the News, and repent and convert and return to God : I know, there are fuch in this Age. From all which, I fuppofe that it is right, fair and juil tor God to execute the Threatning of his Law according to his declared Defign. Rom, 2. 5, 6. Thus much in general. But to be more particular : I. It is plain, that the Heathen, as well as the reft of Mankind,are under a Law that forbids all Sin and requires perfed: Holinefs. For the Wrath of God is revealed froiiz Heaven againjl all Ungodlinefs and Unrighieoufmfs of Men., let them be Jews or Gentiles. Rom. i. 18. And fniceGod is what he is, and they his Creatures, there is the fame general Ground and Reafon that they fhould love hirn with all their Hearts, as that others fhould. And ic is plain, St, P^/^/ looked upon the Heathen underObliga:lons to glorify God as God., and he thankful ., Rom. 1.21. Which is the Sum of what is required in the firft Table of the Law. And none will pretend that the Heathen are not obliged to love their Neighbours as themfelves, and ^o as they would be done by : Which is the Sum of what the fecond Table requires. So that it is a plain Cafe, that they arc, by the Law of Nature, obliged to the fame perfedl Holinefs, which is required, in God's written World, of the reft of Mankind. ^2 2. Ir, Ii6 True Religion delineated Dis. L 2. It is plain, St. P/zzf'. 19.) nat which may be *' k7iown of God is manifeft in them. i. e. The Perfedions 'Of " God,which is all that isknowable of God,are difccvcred to '' them ;" as he adds," For Godhathpcwedit unto them" — But were not the Perfe6lions of God difcovered to them fo darkly, as not to be fufficiently evident and perceivable ?— " Surely no," fays he; " for (/. 20.) The invifihle Things " of him, from the Creation of the World, are CLEARLY '• SEEN, being underfiood by the Things that are made, even " his eternal Power and Godhead -, fo that they are without " Excufe, i. e. Ever fince the Creation of the World, the *' Perfedlions of God are clearly to be feen in his W^orks, " the Things which he has made manifefting plainly what *' a God he is •, fo that thofe, who fee not his Perfed'tions " and are not fenfible of his infinite Glory,can't plead their *' want of fufficient outward Advantages, in Excufe for " their Ignorance and Infenfibility, and therefore the Hea- " then,whQ have this Advantage, are without Excufe." * — And * If it fhould be ohjeBed, that St. ?aul only means, that 'their Advan- tages were fo great, as to render them inexcufable in their ^rc/5 Idolatry and high-handed Wkkednefs ; becaufe they did, or might have known better than to do fo. It may be eafily a^ifzvercd from the 1 8th yerfe, that he means to prove that they were altogether in- excufable, not only in their grofs Sins, but alfo in all their VngGdlinefs, and Unrighteoufnefs. i. e. plainly in all their want of a perfect Confor- mity to the moral Law, or Law of Nature. For the leafr Degree of Non-conformity in Heart or Life to the firft Table of the Law, is fo great « Degree of Ungodlinefs, and the very leaft Degree of Non-con- * foimity and dijiinguijhedfrom all Counterjetts. 117 And ftill farther to clear up the Point, the Apoftle fcems to go on, as it were, to fay, — " Yea, it is evident that *' the prefent Ignorance of the Gentile Nations is afFeded, 5« and fo inexcufable, not only from the fufficiency of their *' prefent outward Advantages, but alfo from xkitxx former " Mifimprovement of the Advantages which they hereto- " fore did enjoy. Becaufe {<;. 21.) when they knew God^ " i. e. when the Heathen Nations formerly had right " Notions of God inftilled into them, being inftrudled in " the Knowledge of the true God, by N^ah and his Sons, " from whom they defcended, yet then they glorified him " not as God^ neither were thankful -, their Inftrudions had " no Influence upon them to make them holy. But they •" became vain in their Imaginations^ and their fooliflo Heart " was darkened, i. e. They foon fell off to Idolatry, and " loft that Knowledge of the true God, in ^hich they had " been inftruded and educated. For (ji. 28.) I^hey did not " like to retain God in their Knowledge, i. c. to remember " thofe InftruCbions, which had been given them, concern- " ing the Nature and Perfe6tions .of God : f But they I 3 abandoned formity to the fecond Table of the Law, is fo great a Degree of Unrighteoufnefs. And St. Paul is exprefs in it, that the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven againft ALL Ungodlitiefs, &c. And in njer. 21. he is full in it that the Heathen are wholly inexcufable for not gloria fying God as Gody which is manifeftly all that the Law ever required.— So that it is plain, he does not defign, merely to prove that they were - inexcufable in their Idolatry and the grofs Wickednefs of their Lives ; but alfo that they were inexcufable in, and wholly to Blame for, their not being perfeBly holy. For they did, or might have known, that God defewedto he lonjednxith alltheirUeart \ and theirNeighbour, asthemfehes. •f And I may add Concerning the Seed of the Woman, the fromifcd MeJJiahy and the Way of Salnjation thro" him. For, no doubt, Noah and his Sons had heard of this Promife, and told it to their Pofterity ; and if they had handed it down fafe, from Age to Age, the Heathen World m ght, throughout all Generations, have been in a falvable State ; for this Promife contained the Sum and Subftance of the Gofpel. Uethufelah lived tn^o Hundred and forty Years in the Days of Adam. Noah lived ftx Hundred, and his Sons about a Hundred Years in the Days of Methufelah. And Ifaac y^^.^ fifty Years old before all Noah's Sons were dead. So that this Promife might eafily have been handed a long down by Tradition, and doubtlefs would have been fo, had it been precious in the Eyes of the Children of Men. And afterwards, farther Light might have been obtained from Ifrael, God's peculiar People, by the Gentile Nations, had they feally been defirous of it. Ii8 Irue Relmon delineated Dis. I. t> " abandoned themfelves to Idolatry. (>?'. 23, 25.) For which " Caufe^ {jj, 24, 26.) for which Contempt call on God, *-'- Cod gave them up to all Manner of Wickednefs. So that " the prefent extreme Ignorance, Biindaefs and Wicked- " nefs of the Gentile Nations, they have, thro' their Aver- " fion to God and Love to Sin, brought themfelves into. *' So that it is manifeft, they do not defire the Know- ** ledge of God, but evidently hate all right Notions of *^ him •, and fo are, beyond difpute, withoutExcufe. V/hich *' was the Point to be proved." Thus he proves that they are without Excufe, becaufe their prefent Advantages for the Knowledge of God are fufficient •, which Advantages ever fince the Creation of the World have been common to all : and becaufe they had once fuperadded Advantages from parental In{lru6bions, which, initead of well improv- ing;, and of carefully handing down from Generation to Generation, they hated to remember, and fo foon forgot. And tliefe Pajfages ought to be of more Weight to de- cide tiie Cafe,becauie they are not meerly occafionaiStrokes, bu-i the Apoille is evidently upon the very fam.e Point that I am. For from the 1 8th. Verfe of this f/rji Chapter y to the 1 9th. Verfe of the thirds He is induitricuily labouring to prove, that both Jews and Gevitiks are all under Sm, and fo the "JiMe World gvdlty before fed. And his Argum.ents are not fetched from Adam^s firft Sin^ but from comparing them with the Law of God, whereby he difcovers their Wickednefs \ all the Blame whereof, he entirely lays up- on them : and becaufe it might have been chje^fed, that the Heathen World had 'not fufficient Means cf Knou ledge,and fo were not wholly to blame and inexcufable in their 'Ncn-con-- fonnity to the Law, He does here defignedly obviate the Ohje5lio7i^ and prove and declare them to be without any Excufe from that^mrler. The Apoille evidently takes it for granted, that they had fufficient natural Powers to capaci- tate them for the Knowledge of God, and he proves that their outward Advantages were fufficient, and fo he lays the v/hole Blame of their Ignorance, Blindnefs and Wick- ednefs upon themfelves •, and finally fums them up, with the relLt of Mankind, as having their Moutbs J^opped^ and f>a';di7ig guilty bcf ere God. Chapt^r^ Z' ^^» The and diftinguiped from all Counterfeits. 119 The Truth of the Cafe feems, in a few Words, to lie here ; that if Adam had never fell, the Works of Creation and Providence had been the Glafs in which he himfelf, and all his Fofterity, would have beheld the Glory of the Lord, from Age to Age •, whereby ,^m;g- naturally of a right Temper^ they would have been efFedually influenced, to love him, live to him, delight in him, and praife him for ever ; or in St. P^/^/V Words, 'To glorify God as God^and be thankful. And I fuppofe, that all Mankind, ftill having the fame natural Powers, and the fame outward Advantages, are therefore intireiy to Blame for, and wholly inexcufable in, all their Ignorance, Blindnefs, and Wicked- nefs ; efpecially confidering they perfedly love to be what they be, and hate to be reclaimed, and (land ready to refift the Light when offered, and fhut their Eyes againft the Truth, from whatever Quarter it comes. — The Heavens^ ftill as clearly as ever, do declare the Glory of the Lord^ and the Firmament fl^e-weth his handy work ; Day unto Day ut- tereth Speech^ and Night unto Night fheweth Knowledge. Pfal. 19. I. The natural F erf e^ions of God are clearly to be feen in all his Works at the firft Glance, and his moral Perfe^ions would be equally evident, to an intelligent Creature of a right Temper, at the fecond Thought. And then his Glory would immediately fhine brighter than the Sun, and every Heart be ravilhed with his infinite Beauty. But fuch is our Alienation from the Deity in this apoflate World, and fuch the vitiated Temper of our Minds, that while Angels fee the divine Glory in all his Works {Rev, 4. II. ) Men, fottilh, brutilh Men, tho' they have Eyes to fee, fee not \ but are blind to the Manifeflations which God makes of himfelf •, becaufe they do not like to have God in their Knowledge, And now, 3. As to the Heathens being accept ed^ for honeflly improve ing their Power 5 and Advantages •, it is, in the firft Place^mo^ certain from St,Paul*s Account, that they were at the very greatefl Diftance from doing fo. — But fecondly, if they had done fo, yea, if they had difcovercd fo good a Temper of Mind, as perfedly to have conformed to the divine Law, yet it is the very Scope of all the ApofUe's Reafoning, in, I 4 ^^'^ 120 %'iie Religioit delineated Dis. I. the three firft Chapters of his Epiftle to thcRcmans, to prove that by the Deeds of the La^u:) no Flejh^ neither Jew nor Gen- tilcy can be juftified. And fince the Lav/ is holy, juft and good, it is not indeed reafonable^ that any Thing fhort of finlefs Perfeftion, from firji to lafl^ fhould pafs with tl^e righteous Governour of the World, as a Condition of Ac- ceptance. Future Obedience, let it be ever fo pcrfedir, can do nothing to make Amends for former Ncglecls : As has been already proved in another Place. But that v/hich of it feif alone is entirely fufhcicnt to fay in tiiis Matter^ is, that it is exprefly declared in Rvni. i. i8. The JVrath cf God h revealed from Heaven agawfi all Ungodlinefs (or every Breach of the firfl Table,) and Unrigbteoiifucfs (or evtry Breach of the fecond Table of the Law,) of Men who hold the Truth in Unrighteoufnefs. Which Words are evi- dently defigned, by the Apollle, to reprefent the Chara^er and State of the Heathen World. For he fpcnds the reft of the Chapter in enlarging upon this Head, iliewing liow the Heathen held the Truth in Unrighteoufnefs, and were cxpofed to the Wrath of God for their Ungodlmcfs and L^;/- righteoiifnefs •, and he concludes them all wnderSin d.nd guilty^ and loft for ever, unlefs they obtain JuftiHcation by Faith in Chrift. See Chapter^ 3. 9, 19, 20, 30. Verfes. Aud thus we fee how all Mankind have, not only fufficient na- tural Powers, but alfo fufficient outward Advantages, to know God and perfectly conform to his Law, even the Heathen themfelves. And that the very Reafon they do not, is their want of fuch a Temper as they ought to havc» and their voluntary rootedEnmity toGod,and love toSin. * An^ * Ob J. But it u%npjjihle iluy ffyculd lon)e God nmth all their Hearts, if they ha^ce no Hopes of finding Fa'vour in his Sight. For he that ccmeth to God njuft believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him. Hcb. 11. 6. An'sw. Com'ng to Gody in Hcb. 11. 6. evidently implies, not only a Conformity to the Law, but alfo a Comj">iiance with the Gofpel. i.e. it implies not only a Difpofition to love God with all our Hearts, but alfo a trufting in him for the divine Favour and eternal Life •:pon Gofrcl Encouragements ; which Gofpel-Encouragements muft therefore be underflood and believed, or it will indeed be impoffible *."'< ro :ruft in him. But I did not fay that the Heathen were under .vulF.cicnt outward Advantages for an evangelical returning to God, whirhr and dilimguiped from all Counterfeits 121 And now that they are wholly to blame and entirely inex- cufable, appears Hill in a clearef Light. But bciore I leave this Point, I mull: make this Remark^ viz. That if God looks upon the Advantages of the Hea- then fufficient, no Wonder that he fo often fpeaks of the Advantages of his own profefTmg People, as being much more than barely fuiiicient ; even altho' they enjoy only the outward Means of Grace, without the inward Influences of the Holy Spirit. For if the natural Advantages of the Heathen are fufHcient, furely the ///^^r-^^/^r^/ Advantages of thofe who enjoy a divine Rcvelation^zxt much more than fufHcient. And if the Advantages of thofe who enjoy only a divine Revelation are much more than fufficient, no won- der then that thofe v/ho lived in the Days of Mofes^ Ifaiah and Chrijl^ are reprefented as veryMonfters of Wickednefs, for remaining blind, fenfelefs, impenitent, and unholy,fmce they enjoyed fuch ^;y^/, and fo many fuperadded Advdinta.gts, No wonder therefore,that Alofes every where reprefents the Children of Ifrael^ as fuch a ilubborn, perverfe, ftiffnecked, rebdiious People, (particularly fee Bent. 9. ) and makes as if theirBlindnefsjSenfelefnefs and Impenitency was the moll unaccountable which is what is intended in Heh. ii. 6. but only for a Compli- ance with the Law of Nature, which is what is intended in Rom. I. 20, 21. Ob J. Rui filll, is it not, in the Nature of Things, impojjthle they Jhould love God, if they have no Hopes of fading Favour in his Sight ? Answ. Let common Senf^ decide the Cafe. A Servant hates his Mailer (a very good Man) without Caufe, murders his only Son, fteals a thoufand Pounds of his Money, runs away into a far Country, ipends feveral Years in riotous Living ; at length he is catch'd, he is brought Home to his Mafter, who is a Man in Authority, before him he has his Trial, is condemned, and has ho hope of Favour. — But how does this render it impoflible, iti the Nature of Things, that he fhould love his Mafter ? Why can't he love his Mafter now, as ^ \vell as ever he could ? He has the fame original Grounds of Love he ufed to have. He ufed to love his Mafter : his Mafter is as wor- thy of his Efteeni as ever : He has no Caufe to efteem his Mafter eV the lefs, becaufe he himfelf has been fuch a Villain, or becaufe he is doom'd to die for his Crimes ; a Puniftiment juftly due. To diflike his Mafter for thefe Things, would be perfedUy unreafonable. Surely, were he but of a right Temper, he could not but take all the Blame to himfelf, and juftify hJs Mafter, and efteem and love him, and be heartily forry for all his Villianies. He can be under no Ina- bility , but what muft axife from a bad Heart. The Application is eafy. 12 2 True Religmi delmeated D i s . L unaccountable and inexcufable, fince their Eyes had feen, and their Ears had heard, fuch Things, and their Advanta- tages had been lb great. Deut. 29. 2, 3, 4. And Mofes call- ed unto all Ifrciel^and fdid unto them^ Te have feen all that the Lord did before your Eyes^ in theLandofEgypt^ ««/(?Pharaoh, and unto all his Servants^ and unto all his Land •, (and that he might fet forth the Greatnefs of the Things which they had feen, he adds) "The great 'Temptations which thine Eyes have feen^ the Signs^ and thofe great Mrracles,{d\i which have been enough to melt the Heart of a Stone, and) yet ( as he goes on to fay, ) the Lord ( by all thefe Things which have been fo much more than enough, ) hath not given you an Heart to perceive^ and Eyes to fee^ and Ears to hear^ unto this Day : All thefe Means have not to this Day attained the End, and made you fee and feel and know what a God the Lord is, and bring you to love him and fear him and walk in allhisWays. Mofes evldendyfpeaks of it as a v^vj flrange Thing, that they fhould be blind, fenfelefs, impenitent and unholy, after fuch Means and Advantages, as if they were moil inexcuf .blc, yea, under a very aggravated Guilt ; whereby he piainly takes it for granted, tl^ a: their Advanta- ges had been 7ynich more than fuliicient, had it not been for their Want of a right Temper, and their wicked Obftinacy and Perverfenefs. And yet he mentions none but outward Means and ^w/w^ri Advantages, and dees not give the leaft Intimation that they had had any inward Afliftance from the holy Spirit. He does not bring any fuch Thing into the Account, but wholly aggravates their Sin and their great Inexcufablenefs, from the Confideration of their out- ward Helps. Te have feen all that the Loi'ddid before your Eyes in the Land of Egypt ^ &:c. — And no wonder he tho't them fo very inexcufable, fince God looks upon the Hea- then World without Excufe, in that while the Heaveyis de- clare the Glory of the Lcrd^ &c. they don't fee with their Eyes, and perceive with their Hearts, and from a Senfe of his Glory, only thus difcovercd, love him, and live to him. For if their Adv antages are enough, furely the Advantages of the Ifraelites were much, very much^ more than enough. And upon the fame Hypothefis, it is no Wonder that God looked upon the Cafe of the Children of Ifrael a$ he did and dijiinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 123 did, in the Time of Ifaiah -, who, from the Days of Mofes even to that Day, had from Age to Age enjoyed fuch out- ward Advantages as they had, and had had fuch outward Means ufed with them •, and in that Age enjoyed fo g.eat an outwardPriviledge, as the daiiyProphefying and Preach- ing of Ifaiaby Hof:a^ Amos^ and Micab -, who, fome, if not ail, of them prophcfied, as it is very probable, forty or fifty Years together at the fame Time, as we may karn from the firll Verle in their feveral Books, which tell us when and how long they prophefied, compared with the Account we have of thofc Kings Reigns, in the Books of the Kings^ in whole Reigns they prophefied. — * — No wonder, I fay, God fpeaks as he does in Ifa. 5. i, — 7. My Beloved hath a Vine- yard in a very fruitful HilL And he fenced it^ and gathered out the Stones thereof^ and planted it ^cuith the choiceft Vine ^and built a ^ower in the midft of it^ and alfo made a Wine-Frefs there' n, — Here is reprefented the natural Powers, and out- ward Advantages of God's People. And he looked that it fhould bring forth Grapes ^ and it brought forth wildGrapes. And now^ 0 Inhabitants of Jerufalem, and Men of Judah, judge ^ I pray you^ betwixt me and my Vineyard. What could have been done more to my Vineyard^ that I have net done in it ? Wherefore ywhen Hooked that it fhould bring for thGr apes ^ brought it forth wild Grapes P Here all the Blame is entirely laid on themfclves, and their Condudt is confidered as being inexcufably, yea, unaccountably bad. And now go to ; / will tell you what I will do to my Vineyard -, / will take away the Hedge thereof^ &c. Where nothing can be plainer than that the Children of Ifrael are repre- fented, as enjoying fufficient Advantages for Fruitfulnefs, yea, Advantages much more than barely fufficient, and that their proving as they did, was unfpeakably vile and God- provoking, and for which they deferved utter Ruin *, and tor which indeed God did afterwards, according to his de- clared Defign, bring utter Ruin upon them. But all thofe Advantages were outward *, nor is the inward AJftftance of ihe holy Spirit any where brought into the Account, when- ever the Grcatncfs of their Advantages is fet forth, on Pur- pofe to fhew how aggravated their Wickednefs was : but thi^. is conftantly the Charge, as in 2 Chron. ^6. 15,16,17. ^ And 1 24 'True Religion delineated D i s . I. And the Lord God of their Fathers fent unto them by his Mef- fengersy riftng up betimes and fending \ but they ynocked theMcf- fengers ofGod^ and defpifed hisJVords^ and mifufed his Prophet Sy until the Wrath of God arofe again§l his People^ 'till there was ito Remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldecs. Not becaufe they did not improve the inward AfTiftances of the holy Spirit, bur becaufe they did not improve their outward Advantages, did not hearken to God's Meffengers. — And in this Strain their ConfelTions ran, when God by his Grace had brought them to fee what they had done. As in Dan. 9. 5, 6. &c. We have finned ^and committed Iniquity^ and have done 'wickedly^ and have rebelled^ even by departing from thy Precept s^ and from thy Judgments : Neither have a?^ hearkened unto thy Servants the Prophets, which fpake in thy Name. The not hearkning to them is mentioned as the great Aggravation : but their notim- proving the inward Afiiilance of the Spirit is not brought into the Account. See Neh. 9. 30. — It is evident, that the Children of Ifrael, confidered as a Nation, had not fpecial Grace, or the renewing fandlifying Influences of the holy Spirit, as one ot their Advantages, from Jer. 31. 31,32,33. Behold the Bays come^ faith the Lor dy that I will make a new Covenant with the Houfe of Ifrael ^ and zvith the Houfe of Ju- dahy not according to the Covenant I made with their Fathers^ in the Day I took them by the Handy to bring them out of the Land of Egypt ^ (which my ( national ) Covenant they brake ^ altho' I was as an Huflmnd unto them^ faith the Lord. ) But thisjhall be the Covenant that I will make with the Houfe of Ifraely after thofe Days, faith the Lordy I will put my Law in their inward Parts, and write it in their Hearts, and will be their God, and they fo all be my People. Where the renewing fandifying Influences of the Holy Spirit, are mentioned, as a peculiar Priviledge the Jewiflo People, were not entit- led unto as aNation, by that national Covenant which God entered into with them, as fuch, at Mount Sinai. Exod. 19. Beut. 5. and which afterwards, at the End of 40 Years, was renewed at theBorders o^Cajiaan. Deut.2^. Nor indeed were there any inward Influences of the holy Spirit, at all, pro- mifed in that national Covenant, as acommonPriviledge,to be by tbem in common enjoyed. And if they were not en- titled and diftinguijhedfrom all Counterfeits, 125 titled to thisPrivilcdge as aNation by their nationalCovenant, then there is noEvidence that they, as aNationjdideojoy it. And therefore whenGod fpeaks as if he had done all for that Nation that could be done, he plainly has Refpe6t only to outward Mt?^wi, which were all that they as aNation enjoy'd : And,as to thcm,h£evidently had good Ground fo to fay, fince he had done fuch greatThings forthem,& fentfuchProphets among them, and been continually taking all Pains, from Age to Age, to make them a holy People. Even as we are ready to fay concerning the People of a particular Pa- rifh, where there is a learned, godly, and fo a plain, fearch- iag, powerful, enlightning, faithful Minifter, fuch as Mr. Sbcpard was in his Day, JVhat 'more could be done for fuch a People^ that is not dene ? And therefore when Stephen charged the Jevjs^ that they always refijicd the Hcly Ghofiy as their Fathers had done^ ( in A5i. 7. 51. ) he means that they had always refifted the Holy Ghoil, as fpeaking in and by their Prophets, as now they did the fame Spirit that fpake in and by him : as is plain from f, 52. and as is alfo evident from Neh. 9. 30. And befides there is not the leaft Intimation, that thofe Jews to whom Stephen fpoke, were under any of the inward Influences of the holy Spirit, but they feem rather to act like Creatures wholly left of God. And this Hint may help us to under- ftand that Phrafe in Neh. 9. 20. Compared with A'^/zw. 11. 17. So that from the whole, it is evident, that the Children of Ifrael^ as a Nation, w^re in Ifaiah's Tim.e looked upon as enjoying Advantages much more than liif- ftcient for their being a holy and fruitful People, had they been of a right Temper and not fo wickedly obilinate and perverfe in their bad Difpofition \ and yet their Advantages were only outward^ and the inward Influences of the holy Spirit are not taken into the Account. — And well might their Advantages be thus eileemed upon the forementicned Hypothecs Yea, if all Mankind are able, in refped of their natural" Capacities to yield perfed Obedience, and if the Advantages of the very Heathen were fufRcient, had it not been for the want of a right Temper in them and for their very badDifpofition5it is no wonder thatGodfpeaks here concerning his peculiarPeople, whofc outward Advan- tages 126 True Religion delineated Dis. L tages were exceeding great, as if he had had very raifed Expedlations of their being a holy People. Wherefore when I looked it Jhczdd bring forth Grapes^ brought it forth wild Grapes ? q.d. " I have done all as to outward Means, " that could be done, to make you a holy People. Enough, " and more than enough. And I looked and expeded *' that you ihould have been fo. And whence is it that " you be not ? How unaccountable is it ? And how great " is your Wickedaefs ! And how great your Guilt !" For it is God's Way, in the holy Scriptures, to fpeak to Men, after the Manner of Men, who are wont to have their Ex- pectations of Fruitfulnefs raifed, when they fow or plant in a fertile Soil, well manured and cultivated. See Mat. 2 1 . 33, — 41.- Juft fo a Mailer is went to fpeak to his Servant, who is flrong and able for Bufinefs, " I looked *• that you Ihould have done fuch a Piece of Work, where- *' fore is it not done ? You had! ime enough and Strength '' enough." And that altho' he knew in all Reafon before Hand, that his Servant w^ould not do it, becaufe of his lazy, unfaithful Temper. 1 he Defign of fuch Speeches being to reprefent the great Unreafonalkyicfs and Iiexiufa- 7iefs of fuch a Condud. And finally, upon the fame Hypothefis, it is no wonder that JefusChrift reprefents the People ot Chcrazin and5^/i>- Jaida and Capernaum^ as enjoying Advantages fufficient to have brought even Tyre and Sidon and Scdcm toRepentancc, which in Scripture- Account are fome of the moft wicked Cities in the World ; and fo confequently more than barely fufficient to have brought them to Repentance, who were by ProfelTion the People of God. For they had enjoyed the Miniftry of C/^r//? himlelf, and feen very many oi his migh- ty Works. Mat, 11. 20 — 24. If the Advantages of the Heathen World are fufficient, well might Chrift, fpeaking after the Manner of Men, feem to be fo confident that tyre and Sidon and Sodom would have repented, if they had feen his mighty fForks : And well might he fpeak as if the Peo- ple of Chorazin &c. had enjoyed Advantages more than barely fufficient, and lay all the Blame of their Impe- nitency upon them, yea, and look upon them as under an aggravated Guilt, and give them fo heavy a Doom. — And yet and difiingutped from all Counterfeits, il'j yet nothing can be plainer, than that the Advantages which they enioyed were only outward^ for no other are brought into the Account as Aggravations of their Guiit. JVo unto thee Joy if the mlghtyWorks which were donein ycu^^Q. — He does not in the lead intimate as if they had any inward Help from the holy Spirit, but only fays he has done migh- ty Works among them. Yea, in the 25th. Verfc he plainly declares that they were left deftitute oi fpecial Grace, And thus, while withSt.PW, we look upon the Advan- tages even of iheHeathenWorld,as fufricientto lead them to the true Knowledge of God and a perfe6b Conformity to his L.aw, but for their Want of a good Temper, and their vo- luntary Averfion to God and Love to Sin ; we eafily fee whence it is, that the external Advantages of thofe who en- joy the Beneht of a divine Revelation, together with other outward Means of Grace, are reprefented, as being much mcrethan barely fuflicient ; & confequently theirGuiit,in re- maining Impenitent &Unholy,as being doubly aggravated. And before I leave this Point I muit make one Re?nark more, namely, that if the Advantages of the Heathen World were futficient, but for their want of a good Temper,their voluntary Averfion to God and Love to Sin, to lead them to the true Knowledge of God, and a perfedb Conformity to his Law, as has been proved •, then God was not under any natural Obligations to grant to any of Mankind any^i/ . pernatiiral Advantages , but ilill might juftly have required fmiefs Perieclion of all, and threatned eternal Damnation for the leafl Dekdl. I fay, God was under no natural OUi- gaiions^ i. e. any Obligations arifing from his Nature and reriectloiis : For he might, connilent with his Holinefs, Juftice and Goodnefs, have le^t all Mankind to themfelves^ without any fuper natural Advantages ; fince their natural Advi^ntages v/tre fuHjcient, and they were obilinate irr their Ignorance, Blindnefs and Wickcdnefs. Moft certainlyGod ^^as j:ot bound to have fent his Son, his Spirit, his Word, his -vieueijgers, and intreac and befeech thofe, who perfedly ha.ed him, and hated to hear irom him, and were dif}X)fed to cruciry his Son, renft his Spirit, pervert his Word, and 1 i 1 hi^, 'v^cffengers, to turn and love him and ferA^e him ; b^: might, even confillent with infinice Goodnefs it felf, have 128 True Religion delineated Dis'.^L have let them take their Courfcjand go on in the Way they were fet in, and have damned them all at hiit. All that the great and glorious Governour of the World requires of Mankind in theLaw of Nature, is, that they love liim with all their Hearts and Souls, and live as Brethien together in his World, which is infinitely reafonable in it ftlf, and v/hich they have fufHcient natural Powers to do. And he has ilretched abroad the Heavens as aCurtain over their Heads, which declare the Glory of the Lord, and in the Earth and in all his Works, his Ferfedions are clearly to be feen, lb that all are under fufficicnt Advantages for the Knowledge of him •, but Mankind hate G&^j and fay unto the Almighty, Depart from us, for we do not defire the Knowledge of thy Ways : And hence they ftili remain Ignorant of God, averfe to him, and in love v/ith Sin. And now, I fay, it is as evident as the Sun at Noon Day, that God might fairly have damned fuch Creatures, without ufing any more Means with them. His Law being thus upon a perfecf Level with their natural Powers and natural Advantages, he was not obliged, as he was the righteous and good Governour of the World, to grant them any fu- pernatural AfTiitance, either outward, by an external Reve- lation, or inward,by the internal Influences of his holySpirit. And therefore it is, that the great Ruler of the World, has always acled Sovereignly and Arbitrarily in thefe Matters, bellowing thefe fupernaturalFavours uponvvhom he pleafes, as being obliged to none. Thus he has done as to the ex- ternal Revelation. Pfal. 147. 19,20. Hejhewethhis Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and his Judgments loito Ifrael ; He hath not dealt fo with any Nation^ and as for his Judgments they have not known them. And thus he has done as to the internal Influences of his Spirit. Mat. 11. 25,26. I thank thee^ O Fat her, Lord of Heaven andEarth.becaufe then hajl hid thefe mngsfrom the wife and prudent^ and haft revealed them unto Babes. Evenfo Father., forfo it feemedgcod in thy Sights And thus God even to this Day, as to both outward and inward Helps, hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy, and Compajfwn on whom he will have Compaffwn. He effectually fends the Gofpel to one Nation and not to another j and where the Gofpel is preached, he by his Spirit awakens, convinces, and dijiinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 1 2 g convinces, humbles, converts whom he pleafes, and leaves the reft. And thus the Objedlion, from the Heathen's not having fufficient outward Advantages, has been anfwered. And from the Anfwer, I have taken Occalion to make thefe (I hope) not unprofitable Remarks , & may now feturn and repeat my former Aflertion, with ftill higher Degrees of AfTurance, viz. that Mankind are altogeiner to blame for, and entirely inexcufable in, their Non-conformity to the holy Law of God, and therefore juftly deferve Damnation ; and that even the Heathen, as well as others. Thus have I endeavoured, to fhew what is the exa6l Meafure of Love and Obedience that God requires of the Children of Men, and that all Mankind have fufficient natural Powers and outward Advantages, and that all their Blindnefs, Ignorance & Wickednefs are voluntary, chofen and loved. And I have been the larger upon thefe Things, in order to clear up the Juftict of God and his Law, and the Grace of God in his Gofpel : Both which, have been fadly mifreprefented, by thofe who have not aright under- ftood or well attended to thefe Things. They have faid, that it is not juft in God to require finlefs Perfe6tion of Mankind, or damn any for the want of it. They have faid, that the Law is abated and brought down to a level with, (I hardly know what, unlefs I call it,) the vitiated depraved Temper of an apoftate World, who both hate God and his holy Law, and want an A61 of Toleration and Indul- gence to be paft in Favour of their Corruptions, that, at Heart, they may remain dead in Sin, and yet, by a Round of external Duties, be fecured from Damnation at laft. And {o they have, Hke the Pharifees of old, (M^/. 5.) de- llroyed the Law by their Abatements. And now the Law, only by which is the Knowledge of Sin, being thus laid afide, they are ignorant of their fmful, guilty, helplefs, un- done Eftate J and fo are infenfible of their Need of the fovereign Grace of God thro' Jefus Clirift to fave them, and fancy they are good-natured enough to turn to God of their own Accord. And having imbibed fuch Notions of Religion, they eafily fee that the better Sort of Heathen have for Subftance the fame Religion with themfelvcs, and K thereiuic 130 T^rue Religion delineated Dis. L therefore have equaiCharity for them. Not being really fen- fible of theirNeed of Gofpei -Grace for thenifelves,they have full Charity fo: the Heathen, who never fo much as heard of it. But what I have faid is fufficient, I think, to clear the Juftice of God in his Lav/, and the Grace of God in the Gofpei, and fweep away this Refuge of Lies, by which fo many gladly quiet their Confciences^andwofully deceive their own Souls. However, of thefe Tilings we ihall Hill have fome thing more afterwards. Thus we have gone thro* what was propofed, have con- fidered what was implied in Love to God, and from what Motives we are to love him, and what Meafure of Love is required. And all that has been faid can't poflibly be fum'd up in fewer or plainer Words than thefe, Thoiijhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Hearty and with all thy SguI^ with all thy Mindy and with all thy Strength, This is tYitfirft and great Commandmejit \ in Conformity whereunto the firft and great Part of Religion does confift. And the jicond which is like unto it, being the Foundation of the other half of (this Part of) Religion (now under Confidera- tion,-) is, Thcujha!t love thy Neighbour as thy f elf . Which is what we are, in the next Place, to proceed to a Conn- deradon of. Section IV. Of Lo've to our Neighbour. II. 'Thoujhall love thy Neighbour as thy f elf » — In w-hich Words we have, (i.) the Duty required. ThoufJjalt love, (2.) The original, natural Ground and Reafon ot it inti- mated •, T'hy Neighbour, WhichA^<2;;;^ given to our Fellow- Men, may lead us to coniider them, as being what they are in theirif^lv^, and as fuftaining fome Kind of CharaBer and Relation^ with Regard to us. (3.) The Rule and Standard by which our Love to our Neighbour is to be regulated ; As thy felf. Here therefore we may confider,what is implied in Love to our Neighbour, from what Motives we are to love him, and by what Standard our Love is to be regulat- Z-> 34' 35- -^^ upright, therefore impar- tial, candid, benevolent Temper, to Perfection, without the leaft Tindlure of any Thing to the contrary, is prefup- pofed and implied in the Love required •, as being, in the Nature of Things, abfolutely neceflary thereto. We muft have a right Temper, and under the Influence thereof, be perfectly in a Difpofition, to view our Neighbours in a right Light, and think and judge of them, and be affeCled towards them, as we ought, i. e. Tb love, them as ourfelves. Particularly, I . There is a certain EJleem and Value for our Fellow- Men, which upon fundry Accounts is their Due, that is implied in this Love. There are valuable Things in Man- kind. Some have one Thing, and fomc another. Some haveGifts, and feme have Grace. Some have five Talents, and fome two,and fome one. Some are worthy of a greater Efteem, and fome lefs, confidered merely as they be in themfelvcs. And then fome are by God kt in a higher Station and fome in a lower, fuftaining various Characters and ftanding in various Relations. As Magiftrates and Subje(5ts,Minifters and People, Parents and Children, Maf- ters and Servants, &c. And there is a certain Efteem and K 2 Refped 132 'T7'tce Religion .deli7ieatcd Dis, L Refpe6t due to every one in all Stations. Now, with a dilintereiled Impartiality, and with a perfe6l Candour and a hearty Good-will, ought we to view the various Excel- lencies of our Neighbours, and confider their various Sta- tions, Characters and Relations, and in our Hearts we ought to give every one their due Honour, and their proper place ; being perieclly content,for our ownParts,tobe and acSt in our own Sphere, where God has placed us ; and by ourFellow-Mortals to be confidered, as being juil what we are. And indeed, this, for Subftance, is the Duty of every one in the whole Syftem of intelligent Creatures. As for God moil high, the Throne is his proper Place, and all his intelligent Creatures have their proper Places, both with Refped to God, and with Refped to one another, which Places every one ought to take and to acquiefce in with all their Hearts. "We have an Infbance of this Temper to a good Degree in David. Pie was fenfible that Saul was the Lord's Ayicintcd^ and that it became him to render Ho- nour to whom Honour is due, and Fear to whom Fear, and his Heart was tender. Pleace David's Heart [mote him^ lecaufe he had cut cff Saul's Skirt, i Sam. 24. 5. This Tem- per will naturally difpofe us to feel and condudl right., to- wards our Superiours, Inferiours and Equals : And fo lay a folid Foundation tor the Performance of all relative Du- ties. The contrary to all this, is a proud & conceited Tem- per,attended with a Difpofition to defpife Superiours, fcorn Equals, and trample upon Inferiours : A Temper to over- value themfelves & their Friends & Party, and to underva- lue and defpife all others. Such do not confider Perfons ai:d Things as being what they are, and think and judge and be affeded and ad accordingly. Nor do they confider, or regard the ditferent Stations in which Men are fet by God, or the Characters they fuftain by divine Appointment. They are not governed by the Realbn of Things, and a Senfc of what is right and fit -, but by their own Corrup- tions. This was the Cafe with Korah and his Company, when they rofe up againft Mofes and Aaroi, and faid, Te take too much upcnycu., feeing all the Congregation arc hoh\ every cne cf them^ and the Lord is among ths^i. Num. 16. 3, jPride makes Superiors fcornful in their Temper, and tyrannical and di/linguijhedfrom all Counterfeits. 133 tyrannical in their Government \ and Pride makes Inferi- ors envious in their Temper and ungovernable in their Lives ; and it makes Equals jealous, unfriendly, contenti- ous : In aWord, it lays a Foundation for the Neglect of all relative Duties, and for a general Difcord and Confufion among Mankind, 2. We ought not only to confider, efleem and refpedl our fellow-Men, as being what they are, and with a perfed: Impartiality give them their Due, in our very Hearts, ac- cording to what they are, and to the Stations they ftand in, being perfectly content, for our own Parts, with the Place which God has allotted to us in the Syftem, and to be and a6t in our own proper Sphere, and willing to be confider- ed by others as being juft what we are : but it is far- ther implied in the Love required, that we be perfe^ly he-- nevolent towards them, 1. e. That we confider l\\t\v JVelfare and Happinefs^ as to Body and Soul, as to Time and Eter- nity, as being what it really is, and are ( according to the Meafure of our natural Capacities) thoroughly fenfible of its Value and Worth, and are difpofed to be afFeded and a6l accordingly, i. e. To be tender of it, value and pro- mote it, as being what it is ; to long & labour and pray for it ; and to rejoyce in their Profperity, and be grieved for their Adverfity •, and all from a cordial Love, and genuine good- Will. The contrary to which, is a felfi/h Spirit ; whereby we are inclined only to value, and feek, and re- joyce in, our own W~elfare -, and not care for our Neigh- bour's, any further than we are influenced by Self-love and Self-Intereft. Which felfifh Spirit alfo lays a Foundation iovEnvy at ourNeighbour's Profperity, and hard-heartednefs in the Time of his Adverfity, and inclines us to hurt his Intereft, to promote our own. To love our Neighbour as our felves, makes it natural to do as we would be done by ; but a felfifh Spirit, makes it unnatural. — Malevolence ^Malice and Spight makes it even natural to delight in our Neigh- bour's Mifery. And hence it is- ihat Revenge is fo fweet, and Backbiting and DetroMon fo agreeable, in this fallen, finful World. 3- I may add, that fo far as our Fellow-Men are proper Objods of Delight and Complacency^ fo far ought we to K 2 take 134 True Religion delineated Dis. j. take Delight and Complacency in them. And hence it is that the godly Man feels luch a peculiar Love to the Chil- dren of God, for that Image of God which he fees in them. The Saints are, in his Account, the Excellent of the Earlh^ in whom is all his Delight. Pfal. i6. 3. The godly Man is of Chrift's Temper, who faid, IVhofo ever Jh all do the Will of my Father which is in Heaven^ the fame is my Brother, and Stfier^ and Mother, Mat. 12. 50. But wicked Men are of another 'Tafie •, and theThings, the Tempers and Difpofiti- tions in their Neighbours, which to them appear excellent, and upon the Account of which they delight in them, are odious in God'sSight. Luk.16. 15. Per that ivhich is highly efteemed amongft Men^ is Ahominaiicn in the Sight of God, For it is the I'emper of wicked Men, not only to do wickr edly themfelves, but alfo to have Pleafure in others that do fo too. Rom, 1.32. Thofe who are vain, or unclean, or intemperate, fuit each other, and take Delight in one ano- ther's Company : while at the fame Time they diftafte and difrelifh thofe Things among Mankind, which are truly mofl worthy our Delight. In a Word, we ought fo to cfteem others, as to be heartily difpofed to treat them with all that Refped which is their Due -, and to have fuch a tender Regard for their Welfare, as to be perfedlly difpofed, in every Inflance, and in every Refpe6l, to do as we would be done by ; and to take Notice of all their good Proper- ties, with that entire Friendlinefs and perfect Candor, as may difpofe us to take all that Delight and Complacency in them which is fit. In order unto all which,it is requifite, that we be perfeftly free from any Tincture of Pride, Sel- fifhnefs, &c. and have our Hearts full of Humility, Bene- volence, Candour and Goodnefs. And now, Secondly. T^^ Motives by which we are to he influenced^ thus to love our Neighbours as our felves, are fuch as thefe. I. It is nght and fit in it f elf As the Apoftle exhorting Children to ojpey their Parents in the Lord, ufes this Motive, For this is right. Eph.6. i. The Ground and Reafon of God's requiring of us to love our Neighbours as our felves, is becaufe it is in its own Nature right that we ihould i and this ought therefore to move and influence us and dijlingmjlded from all Counterfeits. 135 us'to do fo. There is the fame generalKtdSoa why I fhould love my Neighbour, as why I fhould love my felf. Lovely Things are as worthy of being loved in him, as in me ; and therefore by me ought in all Reafon to be loved as much. There is the fame Reafon why my Neighbour fhould be efteemed as being what he is, and according to the Station he ftands in, as that I Ihould. To efteem my felf above my Neighbour, merely becaufe I am my felf ^ without any other Reafon, is unfit and v/rong, at firft Sight. So to admire my Children, my Friends, my Party, as if there v/ere none fach, merely becaufe they arc niine^ is un- reafonable and abfurd. My very word Enemy ought, by me, to be confidered and efteemed, as being what he is, with an Impartiality perfectly difinterefted, as well as my very beft Friend. Good Properties are not at all the better, merely for belonging to me, or to my Friends \ or the worfe, for belonging to my Neighbour, or my Enem.y. But it is right I ihould view Things as they be, and be affeded towards them accordingly. Indeed, I ought to be fo far from aDifpofition to efteem my felf above others,and to be prejudiced in my own Favour (ftnce I am capable of a much m.ore full and intimate Acquaintance with my own Sins and Follies than with the Sins and Follies of others,) that I ought rather to be habitually difpofed to prefer others inHonour above my felf Rom. 12. 10. PbiL 2. 3. — And (o as to my Neighbour's Welfare and Happinefs, there is the fame general Reafon why it fliould be dear to me, as that my own ftiould. His Welfare is worth as much, in it felf, as mine. It is as worthy therefore, to be valued, efteemed, fought after and rejoyced in, as mine It is true, my .Welfare is more immediately put under my Care by God Almighty, and fo it is fit it fhould, by me, be more efpecially taken Care of. Not that it is of greater Worth, for being mine ♦, for it is not : but only becaufe it is more immediately put under my Care by God Almighty. The fame may be faid of the Welfare of my Family, &c. But ftill my Neighbour's Welfare is in it k\f as precious and dear as mine, and he is my Neighbour, he is FleHi and Blood as well as I, and v/ants to be happy as well as I, and is my Brother by Adam ^ we are all but. one great Family. .ths 136 'True Religion delineated Dis. I. the Offspring of the fame common Parents -, we Ihould thereiore all be affedted as Brethren towards one another, love as Brethren, and feek each others Welfare moil ten- derly and affedionately, as being fenfible how dear and precious the Welfare of each other is. This is perfe6lly right. And fo we fhould bear one another's Burthens, mourn with them that mourn, and rejoyce with them that rejoyce, as being tender-hearted, cordial Friends to every Body. And this from a real Sight and Senfe, that fuch a Temper and Condu6t is perfedlly right and fit in the Na- ture of Things. And whereas there may be feveral Things in my Neighbour truly agreeable, it is evidently Right I fhould delight in thofe good Properties, according to their real Worth. It is a Duty I owe to my Neighbour the PofTeflbr, and to God the Giver, of thofe good Gifts. 2. But that I fhould thus love my Neighbour as my felf. Is not only in it's own Nature right, but is alfo enjoined up- en me hy the Law and Authority of God, the fupreme Gover- nour of the World. So that from Love to God, and from a Senfe of his Right to me, and Authority over me, I ought, out of Obedience to him, to love my Neighbour as my felf, and always, and in all Refpecls, to do, as I would be done by. Ard not to do fo, is not only to injure my Neighbour, but to rebel againfl God, my King and Governour, and fo becomes an infinite Evil. Hence, it is charged upon Ba- 'vid, that by his Condud refpedting Uriah, he had defpifed the Lord, and defpifed the Commandment of the Lord •, and this is m.entioned as xlit great Evil of his Sin. 2 Sam. 12. 9, 10. For he had not merely murdered one of his Fellow- Worms, but lifen up in Rebellion againft the moft high God : And pradlically faid, " I care not for God, nor his Authority, I love my Luft, and will gratify it for all him." And therefore when David was bro't to true Repentance, the native Language of his Soul, to God, was, Againft thee, thee only have I finned, Pfiil. 51.4. 'Tis Rebellion therefore, 'tis a defpiftng the Lord, 'tis an infinite Evil, not to love ourNeighbours as our felves. 3 . We have not only the Authority, but alfo the Exam- ple of God, to influence v.s to this great Duty of Love and Bene- ^'olcme, God is Love j he has an infiu:;c Propenfity to do Good, and dijlingtnjhed from all Counterfeits. 137 Good, and that in Cafes where there is no Motive from without to excite him •, yea, where there is every Thing to the contrary. He loves to make his -Sun rife and Rain fall upon the Evil and Unthankful. He loves to fill the Hearts of all with Food and Gladnefs 5 and to drew innumerable Bleflings round a guilty, God-hating World. Yea, out of his great Goodnefs he has given his only Son to die for Sinners, and offers Grace and Glory and all good Things thro' him : being ready to pardon and receive to Favour any poor guilty Wretch, that will repent and re- turn to him thro' Jefus Chrift. And now for us, after ail this, not to love our Fellow-Men, yea, not to love our veiy worft Enemies, is very vile. Since God has fo loved us^ 'we ought furely to love one another, i Joh. 4. 1 1 . Since he has treated us his Enemies fo kindly, we ought now as dear Children to imitate him, and love our Enemies^ and blefs them that ciirfe us^ and do Good to them that hate us^ and pray for them which defpite fully ufeus^ and perfecute us^ Mat. 5. 44,4 5 • The infinite Beauty in the Goodnefs of the divine Nature, lays us under infinite Obligations to imitate it, in theTem- per of our Minds, and in our daily Condu6t. And 'tis In- gratitude, 'tis a Shame, 'tis abominable Wickednefs, not to love our worfl Enemies, and forgive the greatcil Injuries. Since the great Governour of the World has treated us Worms and Rebels as he has, one would think, that after all this, we fhould never be able to find a Heart to hate or injure any Mortal. Surely we are under very ilrong Obli- gations to accept that divine Exhortation, in Eph.4.31,32. Let all Bitternefs^ and fp'rath^ and Anger ^ anji Clamour^ and evil Speaking be put away from among youy with all Malice : and he ye kind one to another., tender-hearted^ forgiviyig one another., even as God for Chrift^ s fake hath forgiven you. And (Chap. 5. ;^. I.) Be ye Followers of God as dear Children. — ' Befides there are many additional Obligations to Love and Benevolence, and to peculiar Refped & Kindnefs between Hufband and/^/^. Parents 2indChiidren^ Friend ^Friend.,^c, arifing from their mutualRelations,&Dependences, & from fpecialKindneffes already received,or hoped for. And now. Thirdly, As to the Standard^ by which our Love is to be regulitedy viz. Thou fluk love thy Neighbour as thy fef 138 True Religion delineated Dis. I. felf. In order rightly to underftand it,we muft, — i. Place ourfelves, fenfibly, as in the Prefence ot the iniiiiitely great and glorious God, before whom all the Nations of the Earth are nothing andlefs than nothing and vanity, and in the Light of God's Greatnefs and Glory, we muft take a view of our own Littlenefs and Deformity, and fo learn how we ought to be affe£led towards our felves compared with God. And as we ought to love our felves, fo ought we to love our Neighbour. And now in. general^ we ought to be difpos'd towards God, as being what he is, and towards our Selves and Neighbours, as being what we and they be. Particularly^ God's Honour in the World ought to appear infinitely more valuable and precious than our own, and therefore our own ought to feem as a Thing of no Worth compared with his, and as fuch, to be freely parted with when God's Plonour calls for it. And as free fhould we be, to fee the Reputation of our deareft Friends given up for God's fake. The fame may be faid of our worldly Intereft and of all our worldly Comforts, when compared with God's Intereft and the Intereft of his Son's Kingdom in the World, and of the worldly Interefts and Comforts of our deareft Friends. All, both ours, and their's,is comparatively nothing,& ought to appear fo to us. Yea, our Lives and their Lives, are juft the fame Things, comparatively, of no Worth, and to be parted with in a Moment, without the leaft Reludtancy, when God's Ho- nour, or Intereft calls therefor. — 2. In order to a right un- derftanding of this Standard,we muftalfo obferve, that our Love to our felves is habitual^ unfeigned^ fervent^ a5five and permanent. So alfo muft be ourLoveto ourNeighbours. — 3. A regular Self-love refpe6ls all our Interefts, but efpe- cially our fpiritual and eternal Intereft. So ought our Love to our Neighbours. — 4. A regular Self-love naturally prompts us to be concerned for our Welfare tenderly^ to feek it diligently and prudently, to rejoyce in it heartily^ ancf to be grieved for our Calamities fincerely. So ought our Love to our Neighbours to prompt us to feel and conduct with Regard to their Welfare. — 5. Self-love makes us take an unfeigned Pleafure in promoting our own Welfare. We don't think it hard^ to do fo much for our felves. The Plea- fure and dijimguijhed fro7n all Counterfeits. 139 fure we take in promoting our Welfare, rewards our Pains, The fame genuine kind of Love ought we to have to our Neighbour •, and fo to remember the Words of the Lord Jefus, how he faid. It is more bkjfed to give than to receive, — 6. We ought never to fpeak of our Neighbour's Sins, <5r WeaknefTes, or any way expofe him to Shame and Con- tempt in the World, in any Cafe whatfoever, except fuch wherein it would be our Duty to be willing our felves to be fo expofed by him, were we in his Circumftances, and he in ours. And then we are to do it, with that fenfible Tendcrnefs for him, that we could reafonably defire from him, tov/ards us, in a like Cafe. Thus then we have briefly confidered the fccond great Command of the Law, and fee what that meaneth, nou fljalt love thy Neighbour as thy felf. To love God with all our Heart, lays a Foundation, and prepares the Way, for us to love our Neighbours as our felves. It removes and takes away thofc Things which are contrary to this Love, fuch as Pride, Selfifhnefs, Worldlinefs, a narrow, ftingy, envious, revengeful Temper. True Love to God mortifies and kills thefe Things at Root. And fecondly^ True Love to God alTimilates us to the divine Nature, and makes us like God in the Temper of our Minds. But God isLove. And the more we are like God, the more are our Hearts therefore framed toLove&Benevolence. HethatdweU leth in Lovc^ dwelleth in God, ^ God in him. Love to God fweetens the Soul, & enlarges ourHearts to love ourFellow- Men. And /i?/r^/y, The more we love God, the more facred is his Authority with us, and the more glorious, amiable and animating does his Example appear, and the greater Senfe have we of our Obligations to Gratitude to him ; all which tend jointly to influence us to all Love & Goodnefs towards our Neighbours. So that, he that knows God and loves him, will be full of Love to Mankind. And therefore he that loveth not., knoweth not God., i Joh. 4. 8. — On the other Hand, where there is no true Love to God, there is no true Love to Mankind ; but the Heart is under the Go- vernment of Pride, Selfiflinefs, and other Corruptions, which are contrary to Love. So that a genuine Love to Mankind is peculiar to the godly, i Joh. 4. 7, 8. And 140 True Religion delineated Dis. I. And now from what has been faid, we may evidently fee, thefe following Sorts of Love to our Neighbour, are nei- ther of them the Love required, however nearly they may fometimes feem to refemble it. 1 . What is commxonly called natural CompaJJion^ is not the Love here required. For the moil wicked profarre Man may be of a very compaflionate Temper : So may the proud, the felfifli, the envious, the malicious & fpight- ful Man : As Experience plainly fhews. And befidcs, na- tural Companion does not take its Rife from any Senfe of the Rectitude and Fitnefs of Things, or any Regard to the divine Authority, but merely from the animal Confti- tution : And Men feem to be properly paffive in it. It is m.uch the fame Thing in the humane, as in the brutal Na- ture. It is therefore a different Thing from the Love here required. 2. The fame may be faid of what is called Good-Nature, It arifes merely from animal Conftitution, and is not the Love here required. For fuch a Man is not influenced in his Love by the Reafon and Nature of Things, or the Au- thority of the great Governour of the World, or from a Confideration of the infinite Goodnefs of the divine Na- ture, any more than the Beafts are, who are fome of them much better tempered than others. So that this Sort of Love has nothing of the Nature of Religion in it. And it is evident that many wicked & ungodly Men have much of this natural Good-temper, who yet have no Regard to God or Duty. Yea, a fecret Grudge againlt a Neighbour, reigning. in the Heart, may be in the good-natur'd Man, confiftent with his Good-nature -, but it is not confiflent with the Love here required. And therefore they are evi- dently two Things. 3. That Love which is commonly Called natural Affec- tion^ is not the Love here required. It is true, that Man is worfe than the Beails, who is without natural Affedion, for they evidently ape not : but every Man is not a Saint, becaufe he has natural Affe6lion. And it is true, we owe a peculiar Love, according to God'sLaw,to our Relatives % but natural AfFe6lion is not it. For there are many ungodly Wretches, who care neither tor God nor his Law, who have as and dijlingutfned frofn all Counterfeits. 14 1 as much natural Affection as any in the Wofld. Yea, it is a common Thing for ungodly Parents to make very Idols of their Children : for them, they go and run and work and toil, by Night & Day, to the utter negled of God and their own Souls. And furely this can't be the very Love v/hich God requires. And befides, as natural Affedion na- turally prompts Parents to love their Children more than God, and be more concerned for their Welfare than for his Glory, fo it is commonly a Bar in the Way of their loving others as they ought. They have nothing to give to the Poor and Needy, to the Widow and Fatherlefs : they muft lay up all for their Children. Yea, many Times they rake and fcrape, cheat and defraud, and like mere Earth- Worms bury themfelves in the World \ and all this, for the fake of their Children. And yet all this Love to their Children does not prompt them to take Care of their Souls. They never teach their Children to pray, nor inftrud them to feek after God. They love their Bodies, but care little for their Souls. Their Love to the one is beyond all Bounds, but to the other is little or nothing. 'Tis an irrational Fondnefs, and not the Love required. Indeed if Parents loved their Children as they ought to do, their Love would effedlually influence them to take Care of their Souls, and do all their Duty to them ; which natural Affe^ion evi- dently does not. And therefore it is not that Love, with which God in his Law requires Parents to love their Chil- dren. Nor indeed does there feem to be any more of the Nature of true Virtue or real Religion in the natural Af- feSfion of Men, than there is in the natural Affedion of Beafts : both refulting merely from animal Nature and a natural Self-love, without any Regard to the Reafon and Nature of Things. 4- Nor is that the Love here required, which arifes merely from a Party-Spirit, Becaufe fuch a one is of their Party, and on their Side, and loves thofe whom they love, and will plead, ftand up, and contend for them, and main- tain their Caufe. For fuch a Love is pregnant with Hatred and Ill-Will to every Body elfe. And nothing will humour and gratify it more than to fee the oppofite Party hated^, reviled and blackned. And befidcs, fuch a Love is nothing but 142 True Religion delineated Dis. I. but Self-love*in another Shape. Ye have heard, that it hath been fald^ T^hou fialt love thy Neighbour^ and hate thine Ene- my : But I fay unto you^ Love your Enemies. Mat.5. 43,44. 5. Nor is that the Love here required, which arifes mere- ly from others Love to me. As if a rich Man is kind and bountiful to poor People all around him, and appears to love and pity them -, they, tho' almoft ever fo wicked, will feel a Sort of Love to him. But if this rich Man happens to be a civil Magiftrate, and is called to fit as a Judge in their Cafe, and pafTes Judgment againft them for their Crimes, now their Love dies, and Enmity and Hatred and Revenge begin to ferment in their Hearts. In this Cafe, it is not the Man they love, but rather his Kindnejjes. And their feeming Love, is nothing but a certain Operation of Self-love. And indeed however full of Love Perfons may feem to be to theirNeighbours, if all arifes merely from Self-love^or is for Self -ends .,c\othmg is genuine : and that whe- ther Things worldly, or Things religious, occafion their Love. A poor Man will love and honour thofe that are rich i if he hopes to get any Thing by it. A rich Man may be kind to the Poor, with an Eye to his Credit. An awakened Sinner will love an awakening Preacher,in hopes he fhall be converted by his Miniftry. A Minifter may feem to fhew a World of Love to the Souls of Sinners, and all with an Eye to Applaufe. Hypocrites will love a godlyMinifter, fo long as he thinks well of them, and hap- pens not to deted their hypocrify in his publick Preaching. Even the Galatians were very full of Love to Paid for a while, fo long as they thought he loved them, and had been the Inftrument of their Converfion •, yet afterwards they loil^their Love,and turned his Enemies, for his telling them the Truth. While others, who loved him truly for what he was, were more and more knit unto him, tor thofe very Do6trines for which the Galatians hated him. If ye love them which love you^ what Reward have ye ^ Do not the Publicans the fame? Mat. 5.46. There is no Virtue nor Religion in fuch a Kind of Love,and it is evidently not the ^hing required by the divineLaw. And indeed it is aThing as difficult and as contrary to corrupt Nature, for us genu- inely to love our Neighbours as our felves, as it is to love God and di/iinguijhed from all Counterfeits 143 God with all our Hearts. And there is as httle true Love between Man and Man, as there is between Men and God. It is for our Intered to love God, and it is for our Interefl to love our Neighbours, and therefore Men 7nake as if they did fo, when really there is nothing genuine and true. And at the Day of Judgment, when a wicked World comes to God's Bar, and their paft Condu6l is all brought to Light, nothing will be more manifeft than that there never was a Spark of true Love to God or Man in their Hearts, but that from firft to laft they were aded and governed either by their animal Conftitution, or elfe merely by Self-love. 6. I may add, nor is that the Love required, when Men love others merely hecaufe they are as bad^ and fo juji like themfelves. Nature and Self-Love will prompt the worft of Men to do fo. The vain and profligate love fuch as are as bad as themfelves. And from the fame Principle erro- neous Perfons have a peculiar Regard for one another. And the Enthufiall and blazing Hypocrite may from the fame Principle feem to be full of Love to their own Sort, tho' full of Malice againil all others. And they may think that it is the Image of God which they love in their Brethren : when indeed it is only the Image of themfelves. Perfons of a bad Tafte may greatly delight in thofe Things in others, which are very odious in the Sight of God. But furely this .can't be the Love required. And yet by this very Thing many a Hypocrite thinks himfelf a true Sahit. Thus we fee what it is to love God with all our Hearts, and our Neighbours as our felves, and fee thefe two diflinguifhed from their Counterfeits. And fo we have gone thro' the two great Commands of the Law, in a Con- formity to which, the very EiTence of Religion does much confifl. And now it is added by our Saviour, Upon thefe two hang all the Law and the Prophets, The Law and the Pro- phets, f . e, the infpired Writings of th« Old-Teflament confider thefe two Maxims, that we muft love God with all ourHeartSyand ourNeighbours as ourfelves^ as firft and Foun- dation-Principles : and all the various Duties which they urge, refpeding God and our Fellow.'Mcn,are but fo many Inferences and Dedu^ions from them, God 144 T.rue Religion delineated Dis. I. Gcd mufi he loved zvith all the Heart. And therefore we muft make him our God and none elfe, according to the Jirjl Ccmmand. Worihip him according to his ap- pointed Inftitutions, agreable to tht fecond Command. — With becoming Reverence & Devotion, according to the third. — And that in all fuch fet Times as he hath appointed in his Word, according to the fourth. Our Neighbour 7raift be loved as our felves. — And there- fore we mufl render Honour to whom Honour is due, ac- cording to the ffth Co7nmand. And be tender of our Neighbour's Life, Chaftity, Eftate & good Name, accord- ing to Xhtfixth^feventh^ eighth and ninth Commands. And rejoyce in his Welfare and Profperity, according to the ie72th. And in all Things treat him as we could reafonably defire him to treat us, according to that golden Rule of JefusChrift, in Matth. 7. 12. And as all the Duties we owe to God and Man, are thus in the Theory^ but fo many Dedu5fions neceflarily flowing from thefe two Maxims ovfirft Principles \ fo when the Law of God is written in the Heart of a Sinner by divine Grace, and put in his inward Parts ; there will, from thefe two Principles, naturally flow all Duties to God and his Neighbour, in his daily Pra6lice : i. e. from a Difpofi- tion to love God fupremely, live to him ultimately, and delight in him fuperlatively, he will naturally be inclined and enabled fincerely to do all his Will -, to make him his GOD, according to the firfl Command, to worfliip him according to his own Appointments, with becoming Reve- rence, and at all fuitable Times, according to the reft. It will be his Nature to do all this, his Meat and his Drink, and fo his greateft DeUght. — And fo alio, from a genuine Difpofition to love his Neighbour as himfelf, he will be naturally inclined and enabled, in 'all Things, and at all Times, fincerely to do as he would be done by. It will be his Nature to do fo, his Meat and his Drink, and fo his greateft Delight. Heb, 8. 10. Joh. 15. 14. i Joh. 2. 3, 4. Pfal. 19. 10. So that, as it is \T)!Theory^ fo alfo it ismPra^ice ; thefe two are like the Seed that virtually contains the whole Plant, or like the Root from which the wholeTree grows, with all its Branches, mid d7jli7iguij}jed from all Counterfeits. 145 Branches and Fruit. And in Proportion as a Man loves God and his Neighbour with a genuine Love, in the fame Proportion, will his Inclination and Ability thence arifing be, to do all thefeDutics. And confequently when hisLove to (jod and his Neighbour arrives to FerfeElion^ he will be perfeEtly inclined and enabled to be perfeii in Holinefs and Righteoufnefs, and will aBually^ in all Things, perfectly conform to both Tables of the Law. And it is equally evident, that until a Man has a genuine Love to God and his Neighbour in his Heart, he will have neither Inclina- tion nor Ability (in a moral and fpiritual Senfe) to perform one Ad of true Obedience. For as all true Obedience^ ac- cording to the Law and Prophets, is to flow from thefe two Principles •, fo confequently, according to the Law and Prophets, that is not true Obedience^ which does not. And therefore when all a Man's Religion, is m.erely from Self- love, and for Self-ends, he cannot be faid, ilridtly fpeak- ing, to do any Duty to God or his Neighbour, or obey 0)ve Command ; for he only ferves himfelf^ and that from a fu- preme Love to himfelf, which the Law and the Prophets do not require, h\xt Jlri£fly forbid^ in that they enjoin the dire^i contrary. So that now, in a few Words, we may here fee, wherein true Religion does confift^ as it ftands diftinguilhed from all the falfe Religion in the World. The godly Man, from feeing God to be juft fuch a One as he is, and from a real Senfe of his infinite Glory and Amiablenefs in being fuch, is thereby influenced to love him fupremely, live to him ul- timately, and delight in him fuperlatively : from which in- ward Frame of Hearty he freely runs the Way of God's Commands, and is in his Element when doing God's Will, He eats, he drinks, he works, he prays,and does all Things, with a fingle Eye for God ^ who has placed him in this his World, allotted to him his peculiar Station, and point- ed out before him all the Bufinefs of Life : always looking to him for all Things, and always giving Thanks nnto his Name, foi all his unfpeakable Goodnefs to a Wretch fo infinitely unworthy. And, with a Spirit of difinterefted Impartiality and genuine Benevolence, he views his Fellow-Men, gives them their Places, L takes 146 ^rue Religion deli?teated Dis. L takes his own, and loves them as himfelf : Their Welfare is dear to him \ he is grieved at their Miferies, and rejoyccs at their Mercies, and delights to do all the Good he can, to every one, in the Place and Station which God has fet him in. And he finds and feels that this new and divine Tem- per is inwrought in his very Nature -, fo that inftead of a for- ced Religion, or a Religion merely by Fits, his very Heart is habitually bent and inclined to fuch Views and Apprehen- fions, to fuch an inward Temper, and to fuch an outward Condud. This, this is the Religion of the Bible, the Religion which the Law and the Prophets, and which Chrift and his Apoftles too, all join to teach ! The Religion, whic.hChriil came mto the World to recover Men unta, and to which the Spirit of God does adually recover every Believer, in a greater or lefler Degree. Thus thofe who are dead in Sin^ are quickenedy Eph. 2. i. Have the Law written in their Hearts y Heb. 8. 10. Are made new Creatures ^ all old Things being done away y arid all Things become new^ 2 Cor. 5. 17. And are eifedtually taught to deny all VngodUnefs and worldly Luftsy and to live foberly^ right eoujly and godly in this prefetit Worlds Tit. 2. 12. And (oferve God without fear^ in Holi- nefs and Right eoufnefs^ all the Days of their Lives^ Luk. ^- 74j 75- And this is fpecifically different, from every Sort of falfe Religion in the World. For all Kinds of falfe Reli- gion, however different in other Things, yet all agree in this, to refult merely from a Principle of Self-love, where- by fallen Men, being ignorant of God, are inclined to love themfelves fupremely, and do all Things for themfelves ul- timately. All the idolatrous Religion of the heathen World, in which fome took much Pains, had its Rife from this Principle. They had fome Notion of a future State, of a Heaven and aHell, as well as of temporalRewards and. Puniihments, and fo were moved by Hope and Fear, from a Principle of Self love, to do fomething to pacify the Anger of the Gods, and recommend themfelves to the Fa-^ vour of their Deities. And all the Superftitions of thc^ feemingly devout Papifl, his Fater-nojlers, his Ave-maria^i his Penances and Pilgrimages^ and endlefs Toils, ftill arifc^ from and dijiingutpoed fro7n all Counterfeits. 1 47 from the fame Principle. So does all the Religion of For- malifts and legal Hypocrites in the reformed Nations -, 'tis a flavifh fear of Hell and mercenary hope of Heaven, which, from a Principle of Self-love, fets all a going. Yea, the cvangelicalHypocrite,who mightily talks of fupernatural di- vine Light, of the Spirit's Operations, of Converfion, and a new Nature, ftill after all, has no higher Principle in him than Self-love. His Confcience has been greatly enlight- ned, and his Heart terrified, and his Corruptions ftunned : and he has, by the Delufions of Satan, obtained a ftrong Confidence of the Love of God and pardon of his Sins ; fo that inftead of being influenced chiefly by the fear of Hell, as the legal Hypocrite is, he is ravilhed with Heaven -, but flill all is from Self-love, and for Self-ends. And proper- ly and fcripturally fpeaking, he neither knows God, nor cares at all for him. And this is the very Cafe with every gracelefs Man living, of whatever Denomination •, whether a Heathen or Jew or Chrifiian^ whether Papijl or Proteftant, whether Church-man^ Prejhyterian^ Congregationalift or Sepa- ratift^ whether a Pelagian^ Arminian^ Calvinift^ Antinomiany Baptift or ^aker. And this is the Cafe with every grace- lejs Man living, whatever his Attainments may otherwife be ; tho' he hath all Knowledge to underftand all Myfteries,and can fpeak with the Tongues of Men and Angels, and has Faith to remove Mountains, and Zeal enough to give all his Goods to feed the Poor, and his Body to be burned ; yet he has no Charity ^hc is perfectly deftitute of this genuine Love to God and his Neighbour, and has no higher Prin- ciple in his Heart,from which all his Religion proceeds,but a fupreme Love tohimfelf. For ever fince our firft Pa- rents afpired to be as Gods, it has been the Nature of all Mankind to love themfelves fupremely, and to be blind to the infinite Beauty of the divine Nature •, and it remains fo to be with all, until renewed by divine Grace. So that Self-love is the higheft Principle, from which, unregene- rate Men do ever ad, or can ad:. Here therefore we have true Religion, a Religion fpeci- fically different firom all other Sorts of Religion in the World, (landing in a clear View. Yea, and we may be abfolutely certain, that this is the very Thing which has L 2 been 148 l^rue Religion delineated Dis. I# been defcribed. For this Conformity to the moral Law, is throughout all the Bible, by Mofes and the Prophets^ by Cbrift and his Apojlles^ rcprefented to be the very Thing in which the Efifence of Religion originally confills. " BlefTed *' be the Name of the Lord for ever, who has given us fo •' clear a Revelation of his Will, and fo fure and certain a •' Guide as his Word." Come here, all you poor exercifed broken-hearted Saints, that live in this dark benighted World, where many run to and fro, and where there are a thoufand different Opinions, and every one confident that he is right. Come here to the Law and to the Teftipaony ^ come here to Chrift himfelf, 2^ learn what the Truth is, and be fettled, be confirmed, ^d be eftablifhed for even And remember and pradlife upon thofe Words of Jefus Chrift, in Joh. 7. 17. If any Man will do his JVill^ he Jhall know of the Do^rine, whether it be of God. O, read the Bible, live Lives of Prayer and Communion with God ; yea, die to your felves, the World & Sin, and return home to God thro' Jefus Chrift, and love him and live to him, and dcHght in hirn more and more •, and be more & more difinteiefted and impartial, fincere and fervent, in your Love to your Neighbours ; do all the Good to every one that you can. In a Word, be the Servants of God, and grow up into his Image, and your Certainty of divine Truths will proportionably ftrengthen and increafe. For the more your Underftandings are free from thatDarknefs and Prejudice that Sin has introduced, the clearer will you view divineTruths, and the greater Senfe will you have of their inherent divine Glory ; and fo yourBelief of theirDivi- nity will be the more unihaken. ,- Having thus gone thro' with what was propofed, a gene- ral Impro'vement of the whole, is all that now remains. And indeed much Ufe may be made of thefe great Truths,which have been thas explained and proved, for our InftruSfion m fome of the moft con ■ overted Points in Religion, an4"t'0 clear up the Believer's gracious State, and alfo to promotq our Humiliation and Thankfulnefs and univerfal Obedience. ■ Section and didingui/hed from all Counterfeits 1 49 Section V. Right Apprehenfions of the Law^ ufefulto clear - upfome of the mofl controverted Points in Religion. USE I. Of InftruEiion. We have fecn what the Law of God requires, and the infinite Obhgations we are under perfeoPj^ to conform to it •, we have feen wherein a genuine Conformity to the Law confifts, and how a genuine Con- formity to it differs from iU Counterfeits ; and what has been faid may help us to underfland the following Particu- lars. I. Wherein confifted the moral Image of God^ in which Adam was created. That Adam was created in the Image of God, is exprefly affirmed, in Gen. 1.27. So God created Man in his own Image., in the Image of God created he him^ And from thefe Words we have jufl the fame Reafon to believe that Adam was created in the morale as that he was in the natural^ Image of God ; becaufe they tell us in plain Terms, without any Diflin6lion or Exception (nor is there any that can be gathered from any other Text ) that he was created in the Image of God ; but the moral as well as the natural Perfedions of God are equally contained in his Image. As to xht political Image of God, Adam., flridly fpeaking, was not created in that •, becaufe as the Scriptures inform us, it was after his Creation that he was made Lord of this lower World. Gen. 1.28. And It is, I think, with lefs Propriety, that this is by Divines called the Image of God j I do not know that it is any where fo called in Scripture ; and God, was the fame, he is now, before he fuftained the Charader of fupreme Lord and Governour of the World. His natural and moral Perfedti-- ons comprifed his whole Image before the World was crea- ted. And in this his Image was his Creature Man created. Not in Part of his Image, for there is no fuch Intl- jnation in all the Bible. But in his Image^ comprifmg his morale as well, and as much, as his natural Pcrfeftions. 150 True Religion delineated Dis. L Now the moral Image of God do^s radically confift in a temper of Mind or Frame of Heart perfectly anfwerablc to the moral Law : the moral Law being as it were a 'Tranfcript cf the moral Perfe£iions of God. So that from what has been faid of the Nature of the moral Perfcdions of God and of the Nature of the moral Law, we may leani wherein con- fifted that moral Image of God in which Adnju was created. He had a perfe5i moral Rectitude of Heart, a pcrfedly right ^Temper of Mind •, and fo was perfe6tly difpofed to love God with all his Heart, and his Neighbours (if he had had any) as himfelf : Was perfedly difpofed to give QMl his Place, and take his own •, and confider God as being what he was, and be affedled and ad accordingly ^ and to con- fider his Fellow -Men (if he had had any) as being what they were, and feel and act accordingly. And in this Image of God was he created, as the Scriptures teach us ; i. e. He was brought into Exiilcnce with iuch a Temper connatural to him. Now here is a new-made Creature in a new World,view- ing God and wondring at his infinite Glory, looking all round, aftonifh'd at the divine Pcrfedions fliining forth in all his Works. He views the fpacious Heavens, they declare to him the Glory of the Lord : He fees his Wif- dom and his Power, he wonders and adores. He looks round upon all his Works, they clearly difcover to him the invifible Things of God, even his eternal Power and God- head, and he ftands amazed. God makes him Lord of this lower World, appoints to him his daily Employment, and puts him into a State of 1 rial, fetting Life and Death before him ; and he fees the infinite Wifdom, Holinefs, Juftice and Goodnefs of God in all, he falls down and wor- ships, he exults in God, and, with all his Heart, gives up himfelf to God with fweeteft Delight. All is genuine, na- tural and free, refulting from the native Temper of his Heart. Here he beheld God in his infinite Glory, viewed his Works, contemplated his Perfeflions, admired and adored him, with a Swcetnefs and Pleafure of Soul moft refined ! Here he faw God in all the Trees Plants and Herbs in the-' Garden, his happy Seat, v/hile out of LovQ to God and Duty and dijiingui/hed from all Counterfeits. 151 Duty he attended his daily Bufinefs, he eat and drank and bleft his great Benefador I He law that it was infinitely reafonable, that he fhould love God with all his Heart, and obey him in every Thing, if eternal Life had not at all been promifed : both becaufe God infinitely deferved it at his Hand, and alfo in doing thereof there was the greateft Satisfadlion and Delight. And he faw that it he, in any Thing, Ihould difobey his fovereign Lord and rightful Go- vernour, it would be right, infinite right, that he fhould be miferable for ever, even if God had never fo threatned : becaufe to difobey fuch a God appeared to him an infinite Evil. He looked upon the Promife of eternal Life, as a mere free Bounty. He looked upon the Threatening of Death, as impartial Juftice. And while he confidered eternal Life under the Notion of a REWARD promifed to perfed Obedience from God his Governour, he faw his infinite Love to Righteoufnefs therein, as well as his infinite Bounty. And while he confidered D^^/i& under theNotion of a PUNISHMENT threatened againft Sin, he faw God's infinite Hatred of Iniquity therein, as well as his impartial Juftice. And when he faw how God loved Righteouf- nefs and hated Iniquity, and beheld his infinite Goodnefs on the one Hand and impartial Juftice on the other, he was ravifhed. Now he faw plainly what God was, and his infinite Glory in being fuch, and loved him with all his Heart. It was natural to account fuch a God infinitely amiable,and it was natural to love him with all his Heart. Allwas genuine and free, refuking from the native 'Temper of his Mind. Thefe being his Views and Apprehenfions, and this his Nature ; hence altho' he was under a Covenant of Works, yet the Hopes of Happinefs and the Fears of Mifery were not the original ^ndfirfi Spring of his Love to God : it was not originally from Self-love and for Self-ends, but from a Senfc of the Beauty of the divine Nature ; and fo it was not forced and hypocritical, but free and genuine : it did not feel like a Burden, but it was eftecmed a Priviledge ; and inftead of being difpofed to think it MUCH to love God with all his Heart and obey him in every Thing, he rather thought it infinitely right and// as being God's dt^ey L 4 and 1^2 li'rue Religion delineated Dis. L and that he defenxd no thanks from God, but rather was under infinite O Hgations to give thanks to God for ever, for fuch an infinite Privikdgc. And tlius we fee wherein that moral Image of God confilled in which Adam was created. . 2. From all which, it is a 'plain Matter cf Fa5f^ that we are horn into the World entirely dejtitiite of ' the moral Image of God, So certain as that the moral Image of God radi- cally confifls in fuch a Temper, and makes it natural to have fuch like Views and Difpofitions •, fo certain we are in Facl born without it. Look into Children, and there is nothing to be feen of thefe Things. And we are all fure that fuch a Temper and fuch-iike Views and Difpofitions are not natural to us -, yea, mofl Men are fure there is flill no fuch Thing in them •, and very many believe there is no fuch Thing in the V/orld. We are in Fad hern like the wild Jjjc's Colt, as fenfeiefs of God, and as void and de- flitute of Grace. We have Nature, hit no Grace : a Tajle for natural Good, but no Relifh for moral Beauty : an Appe- tite for Happinefs, but }w Appetite for Holinefs. A Heart eafily alie6ted and governed by felfifli Confiderations, but blind to the moralReditude and Fitnefs of Things. And fo we have a Heart to love our felves, but no Heart to love God ; and may be moved to adl by felfifli Views, but can't be influenced by the infinite moral Beauty of the divine Nature. Ihat which ts horn of the Flefh, is F'ejh : Joh. 3. 6, And will only mind and relifh Things which fuit its Na- ture-, Rom, 8. 5. But is blind to fpiritual Things. 1 Ccr, 2. 14 True indeed, in Children there, arc many natu- ral Excellencies^ many Things pleafing and agreeable. They fbmetimes, in a good mood, appear loving and kind, inno- cenc and harmlef,y6, Ob J. But where then vj as the Propriety of Chrift' s faying in Matth, 18. 3. Except ye be converted, and become as little Children, ye fhall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ? Is it not here fuppofed^ that little Children are Patterns of Humility and Goodnefs ? Answ. And where was the Propriety of thofe Words in Ifaiah 53. 7. Where the Prophet fpeaking of Chrift's Meeknefs and Patience under his Sufferings, he fays. As a Sheep before her Shearers is durnh^fo he opened not his Mouth ? Is it not here fuppofed, that Sheep are Patterns of Meeknefs and Patience ? The Truth is, that thefe Aliufions do not prove,that eitherSheep or littleChildren naturally have any real Humility orMeeknefs, of a gracious Nature, but only an Appearance of it. And juft of the fameNature are thofe Phrafes in Matth. 10. 16. As wife as Serpents., as harmlefs as Doves. But as thefe Scriptures do not prove, that Sheep and Serpents., and Doves have Grace, fo neither does that other Text prove that little Children naturally have it. 3. By comparing our felves with the holy Law of God, as it has been already explained, we may alfo learn,that we are born into the World not only deftitute of a Conformi- ty to it, but are alfo natively diametrically contrary thereto in the Temper of our Hearts. The Law requires us to love God fupremely^ but the native Bent of our Hearts is to love cur felves fupremely. The Law requires us to live to God ultimately^ but the native Bent of our Hearts is to live to mr felves ultimately. The Law requires us to delight in God fuperlatively., but the native Bent of our Hearts is to delight in that which is not God., wholly. And finally the Law requires us to love our Neighbours as our felves ^ but the native Bent of our Hearts is to be inordinately felfijh, Thefe are the earlieft Difpofitions that are difcovered in our Nature. And altho- 1 don't think that they are con- created 154 True Religion delineated Dis. I. created by God together with the Eflence of our Souls, yet they leem to be the very firft Propenfities of the new-made Soul. So that they are in a Senfe coyinatural \ our whole Hearts are perfedlly and intirely bent this Way, from their very firft Motion. Thefe Propenfities perhaps in fome Senfe may be faid to be contra5led^ in Oppofition to their being ftridlly and philofophically natural •, becaufe they arc not created by God with the Ellence of the Soul, but refult from its native Choice, or rather more ftridtly are them- felves its native Choice. But moft certainly thefe Propen- fities are not contra5ied^ in the Senfe that many viciousHa- bits be, namely, by long Ufe and Cuilom. In oppofition tofucb vicious Habits,they may be called connatural. Lit- tle Children do very early bad Things, and contra(5l bad Diipofitions ; but thefe Propenfities are evidently antece- dent to every bad Thing infufed or inftilled by evil Exam- ples, or gotten by Pradice, or occafioned by Temptations. And hence it is become cuftomary to call them natural, ^nd to fay that it is our very Nature to be fo inclined. And to fay that thefe Propenfities are natural^ would to common People be the moft apt Way of cxprefling the Thing ; but it ought to be remembered, that they are not natural in the fame Senfe as the Faculties of our Souls be : for they are not the Workmanftiip of God, but are our native Choice, and the voluntary, free, fpontaneous Bent of our Hearts. And to keep up this Diftindtion, I frequently choofe to ufe the Word native, inftead of 7iaturaL And now, that thefe Difpofitions are, as it were, thus born with us, is as evident from Experience as any Thing of fuch a Kind can be •, for thefe are the earlieft Difpo- fitions that Man's Nature difcovers, and are evidently dif- covered before little Children are capable of learning them from others ; yea, 'tis plainly the very native bent of their Hearts to love themfelves above all, to make their Eafe Comfort and Happinefs their laft End and their All, ancj to feek for all from the Creature ; or in other Words, from that which is not God. This is plain to every one's Obfer- vation, nor did I ever hear any gne, as I remember, venture to deny it, ■ And and difiinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 155 And as Children grow up, and their natural Powers en* large, fo thefe Propenfities grow up, and ftrengthcn, and become more adive, and difcover themfelves plainer ; and from this Root, this evil Fountain, many bad Things foon proceed. Obferve Children thro' all the Days of Child- hood, and this Nature may be eafily feen in them, they dis- cover it in ail their Condudl in ten thoufand Inftances ; and there it does and will remain. We may break them of many bad Tricks which they learn, and bad Habits which they contrad ; but we can't change this their Nature. They are difpofed to love themfelves fupremely, feek their own Ends ultimately, and delight in that which is not God wholly : nor can we turn this Bent of their Hearts. We can atter a Sort inllil good Principles into them, learn them to read and pray •, and after a Sort to honour their Pa- rents, and love their Neighbours •, we can make them civil and fober and humble and modeft and religious in a Sort, but ftill their old Nature remains in its full Power. It is reftrained, but not altered at all j yea, and after all, thefe their native Difpofitions have the entire Government of them. Their whole Hearts are as much bent this Way as ever. And thefe Propenfities govern them in their inward Temper, and in all their Conduct. They do all from Self- love and for Self-Ends, and are feeking Happinefs, not in God, but in fomething ^\{^, Thefe Things are plain to every impartial Obferver, nor can they be denied by any. Thus we are dXlJhapen in Iniquity ^and in Sin are we conceived. And we are Tranfgrejfors from the Womb^andgo aftray as foon as we are born. And if we leave Children and look into our felves, we may eafily obferve that we are naturally of the fame Tem- per, inclined to love our felves fupremely, and do all from Self-love and for Self-Ends, and feek for Happinefs, not in God, but in fomething elfe. We can remember when and how we contraded many other vicious Habits, and feci fome inward Power to get rid of them 5 but thefe Propen- fities we have always had, and they are natural, and our whole Hearts are fo in them, that it is not in us fo much as fincerely to defire to be othcrwife. It is true, we may,- in a S6rt, defire and try to aker this our Nature, from Confiderations 156 Irue Religion delineated Dis. !• Confiderations of Duty, of Heaven and Hell ; but it is all Hypocrify : for we ftiil a6t merely from Self love and for Selt-ends as much as ever. Wc have naturally no Difpo- fition to defire to love God, only for Self-ends. All Men are confcious to themfelves that this is true. We are naturally entirely under the Government of thefe Difpofitions, in all 'Things ^zs\^ under all Circumftances. — IN ALL THINGS •, In all our civil and religious Concerns. It is merely from Self-love and for Self-ends, that natural Men follow their worldly Bufinefs i and endeavour to live peaceably with their Neighbours : and in thefeThings they are feeking Bleflednefs. And it is merely from Self-love and for Self-ends they do any Thing in Religion ; either they mean to be fcen of Men, or arc moved from a flavilh Fear of Hell and mercenary Hope of Heaven, or from fome other felfifh Confideration. And UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES^ we are naturally under the Govern- ment of thefe Difpofitions. In Profperity •, then, from an Inclination to love our felves fuprerriely, feek our own Happinefs ultimately, and delight in that which is not God, wholly, it is our Nature to rejoice and be glad. And from the famelnclination we are difpofed to mourn & mur- mur and be difcontented under Adverjity. At the redSea it was natural for the Israelites to fing Praife : at the bitter Waters it was as natural to murmur. When we are pleafed, then we are glad ; when we are crofs'd, then we are fad ; but naturally we don't care how it goes with God's Intereft in the World, what becomes of his great Name, or whether his Honour finks or fwims. No, there is but here and there a Mofes that cares any Thing about this : but if they can have their own Wills, and fecure their own Interefts, they are content. While the Spirit of God lets Sinners alone and they live fecure and unconcerned, then from the aforefaid Propenfities they are after the World ; one after' one Thing, and another after another : and altho' they may keep up a Form of Religion for faftiion fake, yet really they care nothing about God and Things eternal. When they come to be awakened to a Concern for their Souls, tho* they reform their Lives and take very different Courfes from what they ufcd to do, yet fUU all is from tlte fame Principle and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 157 Principle and for the fame End. They have new Lives, but the fame Nature. They don't really care for God or hisGlory any more than they uled to do, nor take any Con- tent in him, but are only after Pardon of Sin and Peace 6f Confcience, which according to their prefent Senfations and Apprehenfions, they think would make them happy. Sin- ners don't really feek for BlefTednefs in God himfelf, but in fomething they hope to receive from him. And hence when awakened Sinners come to get falfe Comfort, think they are pardoned, and fo have Peace ; or think that Chrilb loves them, and that they fhall go to Heaven, and fo are filled with Joy •, as all their Joy refults from Self-love merely, fo all they rejoyce in, is what they think they have received, and what they hope yet to receive ; but they don't really care for God himfelf, (whofe Glory they never faw,) any more than they ufed to do, nor rejoyce in Him.: and hence (ordinarily) having their Confciences quieted, they foon go back to the World again for real Comfort and Bleflednefs. Or if after falfe Comfort they turn En- thufiafts, and get to blazing^ and wax hotter and hotter, and feem to be full of nothing but Love to God and Zeal for his Glory •, it is Vifions and Dreams, Revelations and Im- pulfes, a firm Perfv/afion they are the peculiar Favourites of Heaven, and the Applaufe of their Party, which they live upon and take Comfort in, and by which they are ani- mated •, and all from Self-love and for Self-Ends : but in Deed and in Tnith, they neither know God, nor regard him nor his Glory,nor live upon him, nor delight in him,any more than they ufed to do : And thus in all Things, and under all Circumftances, unregenerate Men are governed by a Difpofition to love themfclves fupremely, live to them- felves ultimately, and delight in that which is not God wholly. And whofoever is well acquainted with Mankihd may eafily fee that this is in Fadt the very Cafe, and will naturally be led to make the fame Obfcrvation with the* A- poftle PauU in Phil. 2. 21. Ail feek their own^ and not the "Things which are Jefus Cbrift^s. And now this Difpofition, which is thus evidently natii- ral to all Mankind, is dire^ly contrary to God's holy Law, is"e^.^ingfmful^ and is the Root of all Wickednefs. Firft, 158 T^rue Religion delineated Dis. L it is diametrically oppofite to God's holy Law. For this requires us to love God fupremely and feek his Glory ulti- mately ; in diredl Contrariety whereunto, we are naturally inclined to love our felves fupremely and live to our felves ultimately. Again, theLaw requires us to delight in God fuperlatively and choofe him and live upon as the only Portion of our Souls •, in direct Contrariety whereunto, we arc naturally inclined to place our whole Hearts upon other Things, and live upon them and take Content in them. Finally, the Law requires us to love our Neighbour as our felves and do as we would be done by -, in dired Contra- riety whereunto,we are naturally inclined to be inordinately felfifh, and fo not to do as we would be done by. And thus we are all naturally gone out of the Way\ and in the Temper of our own Minds become corrupt ^fik by and unpro- ft able ^and there is none righteous •, no^ not one. Pfal.14.R0m. 3. 10. — 19. We have loft the Image of God, we have loft a right Temper of Mind, we have loft a governing Senfe of the nioral Fitnefs of Things, have no Eyes to fee moral Beauty, or Hearts to tafte and relifti the moral Excellency of fpiritual and divine Things, i Cor. 2. 14. Hence, in God we can fee no Form nor ComiClinefs,nor in him at all delight-, yea, 'tis natural for it to feem to us as if there was no God. Ffal.14. 1 . And now, as tho' in very Deed there were no God for us to be in Subjedion unto, wc fet up for our felves, to make our own Intereft our laft End, and to feek Bleffednefs, not in God, but in fomething elfe ; and are naturally inclined, without any Regard to God's Law, to make our own Wills our only Rule ♦, and now, having caft off the Government of God, and forfaken the Foun- tain of living Waters, we go every one his Way, one to his Farm, another to his Merchandife, zil ferving divers Lufts and Pleafures. — So that it might juftly be wondered at,how any among Mankind ftiould ever have it enter into their Hearts, to imagine that we are not fallen Creatures, uni- verfally depraved, when it is fo evidently a plain Matter of Faa. I think, it can be owing to nothing, but Men's Ig- norance of the Law, in it's fpiritual Nature, Purity,Stri6t- nefs and Extent, and their not comparing themfelves there* with. And indeed St. ? lency, and all Heaven adore him in the moft humble Prof- trations •, and yet we, mean Worms of the Duft, yea vile Worms of the Duft, that deferve every Moment to be fpurned to Hell ; even we efteem and love our fekes more th^ wc do him, and are more concerned for our Intereft than f(^< his Honour j yea, care not at all for him or his Honour, i6o True Religion deli/teat ed Dis, I. Honour, nor would ever fo much as pretend to, if not ex- cited thereto from the Expedlation of Self- advantage : And that even altho' we receive Life and Breath and all Things from him, and his Right to us is original, underived, per- fect and entire. Surely this is infinite Wickednefs ! And befides, in being and doing fo, wc affront his facred Au- thority, whereby as Governourt)f the World he commands us to love him v/ith all ourHearts. And further, while we are inclined to take our whole Delight in that which is not God, to forfake him the Fountain of living Waters, the Ocean of all Good, aod feek Comfort andContent elfe- where ; we hereby prefer the World above God, prefer our Wives and Children, our Houfes and Lands and Pleafures above God, or at bed we prefer (an imaginary) Heaven above God : to do either of which, cafts infinite Contempt upon the Lord of Glory, the Delight of Angels, the Joy of the heavenly World. The Pfdmift faid. Whom have I in Heaven hit thee ? and there is nothing onEarth I dejire bejides thee. Pfal. y^. 25. And well might he fay fo. But to be inclined, when we are fecure in Sin and not terrified with Hell, to love and defire any Thing upon Earth more than God -, and when under Terrors and fearful Expedlations of Wrath, to defire Pardon, Peace, and (an imaginary) Hea- ven, and any Thing to make us happy, but God himfelf ; is furely infinitely vile. We do hereby prefer that which is not God, above God himfelf-, as if it was really of more Worth •, and fo caft infinite Contempt upon the Ocean of BlefTednefs and Fountain of all Good. And. befides in this, as well as the former Particular, we go dire6tly contrary to the exprefs Command of the great Governour of the whole World. Finally, to be difpoled to an inordinate (and fo to a groundlefs) Self-love, and to be fwallowed up in felfifh Views and Defigns, inftead of a tender Love and cordial Benevolence to all otn: Fellow-Men, loving them as our felves, is evidently contrary to all the Reafon and Nature of Things, and to the exprefs Command of God, which is infinitely binding -, and fo this alfo is infinitely finful. And thus thefe our native Propenfities are diredly contrary to the holy Law of God, and exceeding finful. ^ But and diftingutped frcm all Counterfeits, j 6 1 But here it may be inquired : " If a Difpofition to love " our leives fupremely, live to our felves ultimately, and *' to delight in that which is not God wholly, be fo exceed- ^^ ing Untul, whence is it that Men's Confciences do not any *^ more accufe and condemn them therefor V^ To which the Ayijwer is plain and eaiy •, for this is evidently owing to their intolerable mean Thoughts of God. Mai. i. 6, 7, 8. A Sen honoureth his Father^ and a Servant his Mafter : If then I be a Father y where is mine Honour ? And if I he a Mafter^ where is my Fear ? faith the Lord of Hofts unto you^ O Priefts^ that defpife my Name : and ye fay ^ Wherein have we defpifed thy Name ? Te offer polluted Bread upon mine Altar ; fand fo ye defpife me :) a.fid (yet) 'ye fay ^ Wherein have we- polluted thee F (I anfwer) In that (in doing fo) Vi? (pradical- ly) fay^ The Table of the Lord is contew.ptible (And fo you treat me with Contempt.) -And yet their Confciences did not fmite them, and therefore the Lord adds- And if ye offer the Blind for Sacrifice., is it not Evil ? and if ye offer the Lame and Sick^ is it not Evil ? (ox am I fo mean and conLemptible, that to do fo ought not to be looked upon as an Affront ? I appeal to the common Senfe of Mankind,) Offer it now unto thy Govcrnour^ will he he pleafed with theCy or accept thy Tei'fon ? faith the Lord of Hofts, (And if your Governour will take it as an Afii'ont, much more may \)for lam a GREAT KING, faith the LORD of Hofts, f, 14, He^ it is plain, that it w^as their mean and contemptuous Thoughts of God, which made them think it would do, to turn him off any how, and with any Thing. And juft fo it is in the Cafe before us *, Men's Thoughts of God are infinitely mean ; He is very contemptible in their Sight : and hence altho' they love themfelves,their ownHonour and Intereft,above theLord & hisGlory,and prefer otherThings, and take more delight in that which is not God, than in God himfelf -, yet they fay, " Wherein do we defpife the " Lord, affront his Majefty, or caft Contempt upon him ? " We pray in fecret and in our Families, we go to Meet- " ing and to Sacrament, and help to fupport theGofpeU " and is not all this to honour the Lord .'* And wherein *' do we defpife him ?" — Juft as if going into your Clofet twice a Day to quiet your Confcieace, and faying over the M oiu 1 62 True Religion delineated Dis. I. old Prayer by Rote in your Family, that you have repeated Morning and Evening ever fince you kept Houfe •, and in a cuftomary Way going to Meeting and to Sacrament, and paying your Minifter's Rate, (and it may be not without grudging \)]\\^ as \ithis was a honouring of God ; when at Heart you do not love him one Jot, nor care for his Ho jiour and Intereft at all, nor would do any Thing in Reli- gion but for the Influence of Education and common Cuftom,or from legalFears and mercenary EIopes,or merely from fome other felfifh Confideration : yea, jull as if this was an honouring of God, when all the Time you caft fuch infinite Contempt upon him in your Heart, as to give your Heart to another^ to that which is not God, to your felf and to the World ! — Let a Woman treat her Hujfband fo, will he be pleafed with it, and will he accept her Perfon ? If fhe does not love her Hulband at all, or delight in his Perfon, or care for his Intereft ; if fiie loves another Man, has a feparate Intereft of her own, and does nothing for her Hufband but to ferve her own Ends : will he now think fhe is a good IVife^ becaufe Morning, Noon and Night, fhc prepares his Food, tho' Ihe does it carelefly, the Victuals always cold and poorly drefs'd, hardly fit to eat \ and he knows it is all from want of Love : And befides,lhe thinks fhe does a great deal for him,, and expects her Fay like a hired Maid ! — And Ihe fays to herHufband, "Wherein do *' I defpife you ? Am not I always doing for you ?" And fhe does not feel her felf to Blame, becaufe her LIufband looks fo mean and contemptible in her Eyes : and Ihe cares fo httle for him, that any Thing feems good enough for him : while all the time her whcrilh Heart is doating on her Lovers. — Says her Hufband, " You do not love me, *' but other Men have your Heart, and you are more a " PFife to them than to me.'' — But fays flie, " I can't love *' you, and I can't but love others." And now fhe feems to her felt not to blame. So a wicked World have fuch mean Thoughts of God, that they cannot love him at all, and have fuch high T houghts of themfelvcs, that they can't but love themfelvcs fupremely : they have fuch mean Thoughts of God, that they can't delight in him at all; but they fee a Glory in other Things, and fo in them they can'c and di/iinguij bed from all Counterfeits, 1 63 car/t but delight wholly : And becaufe they arc habitually inienlible of God's infinite Glory, lience they are habitually infenfible of the exceeding Sinfulnefs of thefe native Propen- fities of their Hearts. So that we fee, that mean, contemp- tuous Thoughts of God are the very Foundation of the Peace and Quiet and Security of Men in a mere Form of Religion. iT tliey did but fee who the Lord is^ they could not but judge themfelves and all their Duties to be infinitely odious in his Sight. Ffal. 51. 21, 22. nefe "Things haft thou done^ and I kept Silence : thou thoughteft I was altogether fuch a one as thy f elf : hut I will reprove thee^ and fet them in order hefore thine Eyes, Now ccnftder this^ ye that forges God. Men have fuch mean Thoughts of God and fo little regard him, that they are naturally inclined to forget that there is a God, and to feci and atS as if there were none. Hence {PfaL 14.1-) The Fool faith in his Hearty there is -no God. i. e. he is inclined to feel and ad as if there was none. And therefore it is added in the next Words, Corrupt are they. So the Children of Eliy v/ho treated the Worihip of God with great Contempt, are faid to defpife the Lord and kick at his Sacrifice ; .and yet their Confciences did not fmite them : and the Ground of all was their mean contemptuous Thoughts of God. i Sam. 2. 12,29,30. The Sons of ¥Xi were Sons of Belial, they knew not the Lord. And thus we fee that our native Difpofition to love our felves fupremely^ live to our felves. ultimately, and delight wholly in that which is not God, is (whether w^e are fenfible of it, or no,) directly contrary to God's holy Law, and exceeding finfuL And I add. This native Bent of our Hearts is the Root cf all ShZy fthe pofitive Root, I mean, in oppofition to a meer priva- tive Caufe) of all our inward Corruptions & vicious Practi- ces ; both of thofe which are contrary to the/?/ and to the fecond Table of the Law, cf thofe which more immediately affront God, and of thofe which more efpecially refped our Neighbour. From this Root arifes all our evil Carriage towards the Lord of Glory. This is the Root of a Spirit cf Self-fupremacy -, whereby we in our Hearts exalt our felves and our Wills above the Lord and his Will, and refufe to be controuled M 2 ' by 164 True Religion delineated Dis. L by him or be in Subjeftion unto him. Jehovah afifumes the Chara6ler of moft high God, fupreme Lord and fove- reign Governour of the whole World, and commands all the Earth to acknowledge and obey him as fuch ; but we are all naturally inclined Pharach-like to fay, V/ho is the Lcrd^ that we Jhould obey him / 'uue know not the Lord^ nor ijcill we do his IVilL And hence Mankind, all the World over, break God's Law, eveiy Day, before his Face •, as if they defpifed his Authority in their Hearts. And when he crofles them in his Providences, they, as tho* it was not his Right to govern the World, quarrel with him \ becaufe they can't have their own Wilh^ and go in their own Ways. This w^as always the Way of the Children of Ifrael thofe forty Years in the Wildernefs, whofe whole Conduct ex- emplifies our Nature to the Life, and in which Glafs we may beheld our Faces, and know what Manner of Perfons we natively be. Men love themfelves above God and don't like his Law, and hence are inclined to fet up their "Wills above and againil his ; and if they can^ they will^ have their Wills, and go in their Ways, for all him \ and if they canU., they will quarrel with him. And hence thi Apoftle fays, l^he carnal Mind is Enmity againft God., is not fubjeSt to his Law^ neither indeed can be. Rom. 8. 7. And from this Root arifes a Spirit of Self-fufficiency and Independency \ whereby we are lifted up in our own Hearts, and hate to be beholden to God •, and having different In- terefts and Ends from him, naturally think it not fafe, and fo upon the whole not liking, to trull in him., chufe to trufl in our felves, or any Thing rather than him. W'e have a better Thought of our felves than of God, as knowing we are difpofed to be true to our own Inteiefts and Ends, and therefore had rather truft in our felves than in him ; and befides, we naturally hate to come upon cur Knees to him for every Thing. Hence, that in Jer. 2. 31. is the native Language of our Hearts, IVe are Lords., we will corns no more unto thee. We love to have the Staff in our own Hands, for then v/e can do as we will ; and hate to lie at God's Mercy, for then we muff be at his Controul ; yea, "Vft had rather truft in any Thing than in God, he being of all Things moft contrary to uSr And hence the Ifrae- litcs . and dijiiftguijhed from all Counterfeits. 165 lites in their Dillrefs, would one while make a Covenant with AJfyria^ and then lean upon Egypt -, yea, and rob the Treafur'es of the Temple to hire their Aid, rather than be beholden to God. Yea, they would make them Gods of Silver and Gold, of Wood and Stone, and then truft in fuch lying Vanities, rather than in the Lord Jehovah. And as Face anfwers Face in the Water^ fo does the Heart of Man to Man.Yrov. 27. 1 9. This is our veryNature. Again,from thefameRootarifes 2iDifpofitionto depart from the Lord. For other Things appear more glorious and ex- cellent and Soul-fatisfying than God. Wherefore the Hearts of the Children of Men fecretly loath theLord, and hanker after other Things, and fo go away from God to them. Job 21. 12,14. ^ey take the 'timbrel and Harp^ and rejoyce at the Sound of the Organ, Therefore they fay unto God, Depart from us, for we dejire not the Knowledge of thy JVays. Mai. 3. 14, 15. It is vain to ferve Gcd : and what frofit is it, that we have kept his Ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hofis? — • JVe call the Proud happy. Meditation and Prayer are a Burden to Men ; they had rather be almofc anywhere than in their Clofets ; becaufe they fecretly loath theLord ; but in other Things they findComfort, one in his Farm and another in his Merchandife, the young Man in his Frolicks and with his merry Companions, the old Man in his Wife and Children, and Cattle and Swine, and Houfe & Lands, the rich Man in his Riches, the ambitious Man in his Ho- nours, the Scholar in his Books, the Man of Contempla- tion in his nice Speculations : and in any Thing Men can take more Comfort than in God himfelf. That whichAn- gels and Saints in Heaven, and Believers on Earth, prize above all Things, Men have naturally the* leail Account of. Pfal. 73. 25. JVho7n have I in Heaven but thee ? and there is nothing on Earth I deftre hefides thee. Jer. 2. 5, 11, 12, 13. Thus faith the Lord, What Iniquity have your Fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after Vanity, and become vain ? Hath a Nation changed their Gods^ which are yet no Gods ? But my People have changed their Glory for that which doth not profit. Be aflonifhed, O ye Heavsps, at this.^^They have forfaken me the Fountain of M 3 ^^^^ 1 66 Irue Religion delt?ieated Dis. I. living IVatas^ and hewed them out Cifterns^ broken Cifiems that can held no Water, And from the whole, we may fee there is the greatefl Contrariety between the Nature of God an i the Nature of the Sinner. And hence God hates Sinners, {Hah. i. 13.) and Sinners hate him {Rom. 8. 7.) and when Sinners come to die a. id go into the eternal V/orld,they will/^^/ then that they hate him, tho'theirNature then will beji^.d the fame as it- is nc-v/. And they v/ill then know that the i^reatReafon they did not feel their Hatred of him in this World, was becaufe they did not thiyik nor would believe that he was fuch r.n One. And hence we may fee whence it is, that we are fo averfe to right Apprehenfions of God, and whence it is that our Infenfibility of his Glory in being v/hat he is, is fo invinci- ble, viz. becaufe he is in his very Nature in fuch perfedl Contrariety to us, and we to him. For to account that infinitely glorious in being what it is, which is of a Nature perfeclly contrary to us, is as unnatural as to account our felves infinitely hateful in being v/hat we be ; for that ne~ cefTarily implies this. So far therefore as Sinners love thcm,- felves for being what they be, fo far do they hate God for being what he is : And fo far as they hate God for being wha^ he is, fo far their Infenfibility of his infinite Glo- ry in being jud fuch a one is invincible. And now iinceMen naturally peri'edly love themfelves for being what they be, and confequently perfedly hate God for being what he is -, hence their Minds are naturally perfeclly prejudiced againil the true Knowledge of God, and perfedly averfe to and infufceptive of a Seiffe of his infinite Glory in being juft what he is. And hence it is,that neither God's Word nor \Vorks, nor any thing but his almighty Spirit, can make Men in their Heaits, both really give into it, that God is juft fuch a One as he is, and infinitely glorious in being fuch. The Heavens may declare the Glory of the Lord, Jind mike the invifiblc Things of God ck^arjy to be {t(^a ; and theScriptures andMinifbers may proclaim hisGreatnefs andGlcr)'5&theHoriour of hisMajcily •, butSinners in feeing- Will not fee, and in hearing will not hrar and underftand :''' for they do not like to haveGod in theirKnowledg^; They hate the Lis^ht, and loveDarkneft •. the >' Itate to think tha%-^ . ' God and didtnguijhed from all Counterfeits 167 God lliould be Rich a One, can fee no Glory in him in being fuch, fecretly willi he was another Kind of a Being, dread to think that he is what he is, and will not, if they can help it. 7^^. 3. ic)^20.Rom. i. 2%.Joh, 8. 43, 47.That God fhould love Himfelf more than he does his finful Crea- tures, and value his own Honour and Intereft more than he does our Happinefs, and look upon it as an infinite Affront that we are not exactly of the fame Mind, and judge us worthy of eternal Damnation therefor, and as high Gover- nour of the World make fuch a Law and bind us to it to do fo ; how can this fuit a proud Rebel, that only loves himfelf and his own Intereft, and cares not for God at all ? How can a carnal, felfiih Heart dehght in fuch a God, and account him infinitely glorious in being fuch ? How can he rejoyce to hear that he fits King for ever, and does all Things according to the Counfel of his own Will, aiming viitimately at his own Glory ? Or how can he imagine that fuch a Condudt, fo dire6lly crofs to his Temper, is infinitelyRight and becoming,glorious and excellent ? The Temper, the had Temper of Sinners Hearts is it, that ren- ders their Infenfibility of his Glory, in being what he is, fo invincible. He does not fuit them, he does not look upon Things as they do, he is not difpofed nor does he a6t as they would have him, but all diredly contrary : as con- trary as Light and Darknefs, as Sin and Holinefs, as Hea- ven and Hell. Therefore the carnal Mind is Enmity againji God. But to return. From this fame Rooty this Difpofition to love our felves fupremely, live to our felves ultimately, and delight in that which is not God wholly, "proceeds all our e-vil Carriage to- wards our Neighbour, Pride, Seififhnefs and Worldlinefs, lay the Foundation for all that cheating, lying, backbiting, quarrelling, there is among Neighbours ; and for all the Feuds and bloe)dy Wars there ever have been among all the Nations of the Earth from the beginning of the World. And Pride, Selfilhnefs and Worldlinefs, together witji that Enmity againft God and true Religion which is naturally concomitant, lay the Foundation for all thofe bloody Per- fecutions,whieh have been in the feveral Ages of the World, agaixift the Church and People of God If Men were nor M 4 proud 1 6 8 True Religion deVmeated D i s . I . proud nor felfifh, they would have no IncHnatioa to injure their Neighboars in Naine or Eftate. If they took their fuprerne DcHght in God as the Portion ot their Souls, they would not have ^ny of their little petty Idols to quarrel and contend about. If they loved their Neighbours as -thernfelves, there would never more be any Thing like Pe.lecution \ and all Injuries and Abufes would ceafe from the Earth. — So that, to conclude, as a Difpofition to love God with all our Hearts and our Neighbours as our felves, is an habitual Conformity to the whole Law, and lays a folid Foundation for a right Carriage towards God and our Neighbour in all Things , fb a Difpofition to love our •fcives fapremely, live to our felves ultimately, and delight in that v/hlch is not God wholly, is an habitual Contrariety to the whole Law, and lays a fad Foundation for all evil Carriage tov/ards God and our Fellow-Men. And as I faid, this Difpofition is natural to "us, and we are na|:uraliy entirely under the Government ox it : And fo the Seed and Root of all Sin is in us, even in the native Temper of our Hearts, l^hat which is hern of the Flejb^ is FleJIj. Ob J. But if Mcmkind neither love Gcd nor tbsir Neigh- hours with a genuine Love^ fuch as thehaw requires^ hut natu- rally have^ and are entirely under the Goi:ernment of^ a Spirit of Contrariety to the whole Law •, whence is it that all Men don^t hlafpherae God^ and do all the Mi f chief they can, and tn Pra5iice as well as in Nature, be as bad as Devils ? Ans. Becaufe of the Rejiraints, which God for wife Ends and Purpofes, is pleafed to lay upon them ; whereby their Nature is indeed not at ail altered, but only in a Meafurc kept from breaking out, as otherwife it would do. And thefe Reftraints, in ordinary, are fuch as arife from thefe Things. ( I . ) From their animal Conftitution : whereby many , are inclined to be tender-hearted, companionate and kind, without any Regard to God or Duty, from a Sort of natu- ral Inftind, much of the fame Nature, to all Appearance, as is to be found in many in the brutalVVorJd. — (2.) From natural Affeclicn : whereby, partly from animal Nature, and partly from Self-love, and from being brought up to- f^ethcr. Relatives have a certain Fondnefs for one another, ftnd fo are difpofcd to be kind to cnc angiher, and that without and dijlinguijhedfrom all Counterfeits. 1 6g without any Regard to God or Duty ; much as it is with many in the brutal World.— (3.) From ^good Education ; whereby many are influenced to be civil in their Behaviour, honeil in their Dealings, kind to the Poor, and to pray in their Families, and join with the Church &c..tho* deflitute of Grace in theirHearcs. — (4.) From worldly Confiderations : whereby, from Self-love, in order to avoid PuniHiment from Men, or from iisar of Difgrace and Reproach, or to get the Good-wiil of others, or promote fome worldly In- tereft, Men are influenced fometimes to carry themfelves externally, very well. — (5.) From religious Confiderations : whereby from Sdf-love, the Fear of Heil, and the Flope of Heaven, many are influenced to do much in Religion. — ■ (6.) IVant of fpeculativeKnowledge of GQD '^ Ignorance of his Refolution to puniih Sin, and of his Anger againft them, is alfo an Occafion of their not blafpheming his Name; as they will do, as loon as ever they come into Eternity, and fee howThings really be •, tho' then their Na- tui e will be exadly the fame that now it is. God givesRain and fruitful Seafons, and iiils the Hearts of ail with Food and Gladnefs -, he makes his Sun rife and Rain fall upon the Evil and Unthankful, and offers Salvation in Cafe they rq^ent and believe •, whence Men are ready to think that God loves them, and this reftrams them. Thefe, and fuch iilve Things, reftrain Men's Corruptions ; but for which, they would be as bad in this World, as they will be in the next, when thefe Reftraints come to be taken off. To what has been faid, may alfo be added, that God by thefe three Methods, does much to reftrain many. (i.) By his Providence : Whereby he many Times brings remarkable Judgments upon Men for their Sins \ and remarkably profpers Men, as to the Things of this World, who are true to their Word and honeft in their Dealings. And hereby Men are afraid to be and do as bad as other- wife they would, left foms Judgment fhould come upon them ♦, and others are influenced to be honeft, and to car- ry themfelves externally well, in hopes of a worldly Blef- fing. (2.) By his JVord\ his written Word, and his Word preached : whereby Men are made more fenfiblc that there is a Heaven and a Hell i and fo are the more :- .. . reftrained Tjo True ReIigio?2 delineated Dis. L retrained and kept in Awe. — (3.) By his Spirit : whereby he does much to make many a Man fenfible of the Evil of Sin, the Dreadfulnefs of Damnation, and theGlory of Hea- ven, whom he never fandlifies : whereby they are not only reftrained from viciousPradtices, but theirCorruptions alfo are greatly flunned, and they made zealous Promoters of Religion. [Heb. 6, 4.) And thus the fupreme Gover- nour of the World retrains Men's Corruptions, and main- tains fome Degree of Order among his rebellious Subjeds. But yet all thefe Reftraints notwithilanding, there is, 1^ and always has been, abundance of Wickednefs committed m in this apoilatc World. They have murthered God's Ser- vants the Prophets, whom the Lord has fent unto them, rifing early and fending. And they have killed his Son, and his Apoftles, and llied the Blood of Thoufands and Millions of his Saints. So great has been theirAverfion to God ! And fo great their Cruelty ! And by the many Wars there have been among the Nations from the Begin- ning, the whole Earth has been filled with Blood. And by cheating and lying and backbiting and Contention &:c. Hateful and hating one another^ innumerable Injuries have been done to, and unfpeakable Miferies brought upon, one another. And as foon as ever Mankind have their Reftraints taken off at Death, without having any Sin in- fufed into their Nature, they will appear to be what they are, they will feel and adl like very Devils. But in the mean while, by Means of thefe Reftraints many deceive themfelvcs. For our Corruptions, being thus capable of being reftrained, and, as it were, ftunn'd, and our Lives of being pretty well regulated to Appearance, while our Nature remains the fame, and we feeling our lelves able to do confiderable towards this •, hence many are deceived, and take this to be real Religion, and think they did, and that others may, convert themfelves, with but comparatively little AfTiftance from God's Spirit. And truly fo they might,if this was true Religion,& Converfion confifted in thus reforming our Lives, and reftraining our Corruptions. But in Converfion our very Nature muftbe changed, (2 Cor. 5. 1 7.) the native Bent of our Hearts muft be turned-, {Ezek. 36.26.) and this v/e are naturally wholly averfe and dijiingtdjhed frG7n ail Counterfeits. 171 avcrfe unto. And hence aiifes the abfolute Neceflity of a fapernatural, irrefiftible Grace, in order to our Conver- fion. Of which more aiterwards. But to return, From what has been faid we fee, that we are natively difpofed to love our felves fupremely, to live to our felves' ultimately ,**and delight in that w^hich is not God, wholly i' and that this Difpofition, by which we are naturally entire-" iy governed, in all Things and under all Circumftances, is in dired Contrariety to the holy Law of God, and is ex- ceeding fmful, and is the Root of all Sin, of all our evil Carriage towards God and Man, in Heart and Life. So that, as to have a Difpofition to love God with all our Hearts, and oui- Neighbour as our lelves, is a radical Con- formity to the whole" Law v fo this contrary Difpofition is a radical Contrariety to the whole Law. Well therefore may the holy Scriptures fpeak of Sinners, as being dead in Sin^ and at Enmity agai?ijt Gcd^ and by Nature Children of Wrath^ and reprefent them fo frequently as being Ene- mies to Ged. {Eph. 2. I, 3. Rom. 8.7. and 5. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 18 — 20.) Since by comparing our felves with the holy Law of God, w^e are found' to be, in Fa5i^ natively fo, in the Temper of our Minds. And it will be for ever in vain, for Mankind to plead not guilty., fmce the Law. of God is what it is., and we are what we he. For by the Law by which is ^heKnowledge of Sin., w^e evidently Hand condemned. Here it may be ohjeSied., " That we are natively no " otherwife than God makes us \ and if therefore we arc ** natively finful, God made us fo ; and by Ccnfequence " is the Author of Sin.'' But this Objediion has been alrea- dy obviated. For, as has been obferved, God only creates the naked EfTence of our Souls, our natural Faculties, a Power to think and will and to love and hate ; and this evil Bent of our Hearts is not of his makings but is the fpont a- 7teous Propenjity of our own Wills. For we, being born de- void of the divine Image, ignorant of God, and infenfible of his infinite Glory, do of our own Accord turn to our felves and the Things of Time and Senfe, and to any Thing that fuits a gracelefs Heart, and there all our Affec- tions center \ from whence we natively become averfe to God 172 T^rue Religmt delineated Dis. I. God and to all that which is fpiritually Good, and inclined to all Sin. So that the pofttive Corruption of our Nature is not any Thing created by God ; but arifes 7nerely from a privative Caufe. Here it will be chje5fed again, " That it is not confident " with the divine Perfedions, to bring Mankind into the " World under fuch fad and unhappy Circumfbances." — But who art thou^ O Man^ that replieft againft God ? Shall the mng formed fay unto him that for ?ned it^ PFhy hafl thou formed me thus P It is blafphemous, to fay, that it is not confiflent with the divine Perfedions to do, what God IN FACT does. It is a plain Matter of Fatl^ that we are born into the World devoid of the divine Image, ignorant of God, infenfible of his infinite Glory. And it is a plain Matter of Fa5i^ that in Confequence hereof we are natively difpoied to love our felves fupremely, live to our felves ul- timately, and delight in that which is not God, wholly. And it is plain to a Demonflration, that this Temper is in dire6l Contrariety to God's holy Lav/, is exceeding finful, and is the Root of all Wickednefs. ISlow^ to fay, it is not confiflent with the divine Perfections, that Mankind fhould be brought into the World, as in FACT they be, is wick- edly to fly in the Face of our almighty Creator, and ex- prefsly charge him with Unrighteoufnefs ; which, furely does not become us. If we cannot fee into this Difpenfa- tion of divine Providence, yet we ought to remember, that God is holy in all his Ways^ and righteous in all his Works ^ and that the Judge of all the Earth always does right, I don't mean, that Things are therefcre nght^ merely becaufe God does them ^ for if they w^re not right to be done, antecedently to his doing of them, he would not, he could not do them. But I mean, that when it is a plain Matter of Fa£i that God does fuch a Thing, we may thence con- clude that it is moft certainly right for him to do fo, altho* we cannot underftand how it is. We ought to remember that he is infinite in his Underftanding, and at one compre- henfive View beholds all Things, and fo cannot but know what is right and what is wrong in all Cafes : and his Judg- ment is unbiafTed, the Redlitude of his Nature is perfedl, he cannot therefore but do right always,and in all Inftances goveriP. and dijlinguipjed fro7n all Counterfeits. 173 govern the World in Righteoufnefs. But our Minds are narrow and conrradled, we are but of Yefterday and know Nothing : and befidesjour Judgments are biaffed thro' our mean Ihoughts of God and high Thoughts of our feives ; and hence we may be eafily miftaken. Elpecially in this Cafe, our Minds arc fadly biafled, and it is almoft impofTi- ble for us to confider the Matter with a Spirit of difintereft- ed Impartiahty. And thefe Confiderations ought to check our rifing Thoughts, and make us He down in the Dufl before the great and righteous and good Governour of the World, with humble Silence, even aitho' we cannot under- iland his Ways. And I believe that a humble Difpofition ot Heart would lay an effedual Foundation, for us to come to be fatlsfyed in this Matter : it being our meanThoughts of God and high Thoughts of our felves, which blinds 01 r our Minds, that we cannot fee ; and difpofes us to quarrel with our Creator, and find fault with the Ruler andDifpo- fer of the World. It is true, that the holy Scriptures confider Mankind as being what they be, and fays but little about the Way in which they came to be in fuch a Condition. And there is good Reafon for it •, for it is of infinitely greater Importance that we fhould know what a Condition we are in, than how we came into it. And it is a fooliih Thing for us, and contrary to common Senfe, to lay the Blame any where but upon our felves, fmce we are voluntarily fuch as we be, and really love to be what we be, do not fincerely defire to be otherwife, but are utterly averfe to it. But yet the holy Scriptures fay fo much about the Way of our coming into our prefentCondition, as might fully facisfy our Minds, were not our Judgments bialTed. For from them we learn, that Man was made upright^ was created in God's Image^ and by rebelling againft his Maker brought a Curfe upon himfelf and all his Race. Gen. i. 2j, Eccl. 7. 29. Rom. 5. 12 — 19. There we read, that by one Man., Sin entered into the World -, that by one Man's Difobe- dieyice^ many were made Sinners ^ that by the Offence of one^ Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation. Adam was created in the Image of God, it was connatural to him to love God with all his Heart, and this would have been our Cafe, had he not rebelled againft God j but now we are bora 174 True Religion delineated Dis. I. born devoid of the dlyine Image,have nolleart for God,are Tranfgrellbrs from the Womb, by nature Children of Wrath, And if any fhould inquiie, " But can it he right, that " 4damh Sin fliould have any Influence upon us ?" I Anfivery It is a plain Cafe, that it aitually has, and .we may depend upon it, that the Judge of all the Earth al- ways does right. And befides, why might not God make Adam our publick Head and Reprefentative to ad: in our Ropm%as he has fince.for our Recovery made his cc^n Son our publick Head and Reprefentative ? Rem, 5. 12 — 21. He had as much Rights Poizcr and Authcrity for one, as for the other. And was not Ada-m as likely to remain obedi- ent, as any of us fliould have been, and in fome Rcfpec:s more likeiy } His natural Powers were ripe -, he fliood not only for himfelf, but for all his Race -, a whole World lay at Stake. And if he had kept the Covenant of his God, and fecured Happinefs to all his Race, ihould we not for ever have bleifed God, for fo good a Conftitution .^ Never once fhould we have queftioned God's Right and Authcrity to make him our pubhck Head and Reprefentative, or nave thought that it did not become his Wifdom & Good- nefs to truit our i\ll in his Hands. And if we fliould thus have approved this Conftitution, had Adara never finned ; v;hy might we not as juftly approve it now, if we would be but difintereftediy impartial ? It is the fame in it felf nc%i\ that it would have been then^ every way as holy, juft and good. — " Oh but for God to damn a wholeWorld for *' one Sin ! " — But ftay ; —Does not this arife from mean Thoughts of God, and high Thoughts of your felf? O, think who theLord is ! And what it is for a Worm to rife in Rebellion againft him ! And how he treated wholeThou- fands oi glorious Angels for their firft Sin ! And then,thin]^ how God drowned the oldJVcrld^ burnt Scdcm % and of the dreadful Things he intends to do to the Impenitent at the Day of Judgment ! And learn, and believe, that Sin is an infinitely greater Evil than we naturally imiagine. But I muft return to my Subjedt, for it is not my prefent Bufinefs fo much to fhew, how we came into this Condition^ as plainly to point out ivhat that Condition is, which we are a^ually in. As to this, the whole Scriptures are very plain, bu; and dijli7'iguij]jed from all Counterfeits. 175 but efpecially the Lav;, by which is the Knowledge of Sin^ clearly difcovers what our Cafe is, and beyond Difpute proves, that all are under Sin. And having already, by comparing our fclves with the Law, found out what our Nature is, I proceed to make Ibme further Obfervations ; in which I defign much greater Brevity. 4. From what has been faid, we may learn,^^^^ the very heft religions Performances of all unregenerate Man are, com- plexly confidered, finful, and fo odious in the Sight of God, They may do many Things materially Good, but the Prin- ciple^End and Maimer of them are fach,as xhdit^compleacly con- fidered, what they do is. Sin in the Sight of God. For Sin is a "Trayifgreffon of the Law. But, (i.) The Law requires all Mankind to do every Duty out of Love to God and for his Glory : But all unregene- rate Perfons, dire5ily contrary to Law, do every Duty mere- ly out of Love to themfelves and for Self-Ends : And fo are guilty of Rebellion. (2.) The Law requires all Mankind to do every Duty out of Love to God and for his Glory : But all unregene- rate Perfons do every Duty merely out of Love to them- felves and for Self-Ends •, whereby they prefer themfelves and their Liter eft, above God and his Glory : And fo are guilty of fpiritual Idolatry. (^.j The Law requires all Mankind to do every Duty from Love to God and for his Glory : But all unregenerate Perfons do every Duty merely from Self- Love and for Self-Ends •, and yet hypocritically pretend to God, that they love and obey him : And fo are guilty of mocking God. C4.) The Law fuppofes that God infinitely deferves loht loved with all our Hearts and obeyed in every Thing, and that our Neighbour deferves to be loved as our felves ; and that therefore if we fhould yield perfect Obedience in all Things, yet we fliould deferve no i'hanks : But all unrege- nerate Perfons make ^UC/Q7 of their Duties, tho' fuchmi- ferable poor Things : And fo affront God to his very Face. Upon thefe four Accounts, their very heft Performan- ces are done in a Manner diredly contrary to the Law of God, and fo are fmful, and therefore odious in the Sight of God. (Prcv. 15.3. & 21, ij. Horn. 3. 8. PfaL 88. 36,37.) As 176 True Religion delineated Dis. I. As is the Tree, fo is the Fruit -, as is the Fountain, fo are the Streams -, And as is the Man, fo are his Doings, in the Sight of God, who locks at the Heart {Matt. 12. ^3,34, 35 J and judges not according to /Appearance,' but judges righteous Judgment : And, with whom, many Things,thar are highly efteemed among Men, are Abomination. And if their befb religious Performances are thus odious in the Sight ot God, it is certain that they cannot poflibly, in the Nature of Things, have the leaf!: I endency to make Amends for their paft Sins, or recommend them, to the di- vine Jb avour •, but rather tend to provoke God ftill more. So that 2/ is not cf him that Wills ^ mr of him that Runs^ but cfGcd that/hews Mercy. Nor is diere the lead Hope in the Sinner's Cafe, but what arifes from tlie fovereign Mer- cy of God ; whereby he can haveMercy on whom he will have Mercy., and have Compaffion on ivhom he will haveCompqJwn, Rom. 9. 15, 18. True, feme being ignorant of theLaw, and of our entire Contrariety to it, have fancied a Gcodnefs in the Sinner's Duties ; and hence have perfwaded themlelves that there are Promifes of fpecialGrace miade to them. Not that there are any Promifes inScripture, of that Nature •, for theScrip- ture every where confiders us as being, while unregenerate, dead in Sin. Eph 2.1. Enemies to God. Rom. 5. 10. 2Cor. 5. 17 — 20. Col. I. 21. Yea, Enmity againjl biin. Rom. 8. 7. And fo far from any true and acceptableObedience to God,as that we are not^nor can be fubjed: to the Law,and {ocannct plcafcGod. Rom. 8. 7, 8. And every where repre- fents fuch, as being under the Wrath of God., the Curfe of the Law^zv\6. a frefent Coiidemnation. Joh. 3. 18, 36. Rom. 1.18. Gal. 3. 10. — But the real Ground of their Opinion is, their Ignorance of the Sinner's finful, guilty Circumftances, and their fond Conceit that there is fome real Goodnefs in what the Sinner does. Both which, are owing to their Igno- rance of the Law, * and of the Nature of true Holinefs. Rom, * 'Tis manifeft, that this Notion of the Promifes, of which Pelagius was the Author, and which was condemned for Herefy above 1 300 Years a^o, did with him, and does with his Follow ers,take its Rife originaUy from their Ignorance of the Nature and Meaning of the moral L2». and dtfii7igutp:)ed from all Counterfeits. 177 Rom, 7. 8, 9. Rom. 10. 3. All will own, that if Sinners Duties, are fuch as I have rcprefented, it is abfurdjand even iiiconfiitent with the divine Perfedions, that Promifes of fpecial Grace, fhould be made to them. 'Tis true, they refer to Matt. 25. 29. To him that hath^ jhall he given. But that Text evidently fpeaks of the final Rewards which fhall be given to the Godly at the Day of Judgment \ when all the Unregenerate lh»all,with thejloth- ful Servant^ be caft into outer Darknefs. They quote alfo Matt. 7. 7. JJk and you Jhall receive, &c. But the Con- dition of this Promife was never yet performed by an unregenerate Sinner. For this ajkiftg is meant right ajking'^ for thofe who ajk amifs receive nothing. Jam, 4. 3. Right ajking of Grace, fuppofes right Dejires of it ; but the un- regenerate are in the habitual Temper of their Hearts di- redily contraiy to Grace and all fpiritual Good, and en- tirely fo, as has been proved. But to have genuine Bejires after a Thing, and a perfect Contrariety to it, in the whole Heart, at the fame Time, is an exprefs Contradidtion. The Reafon that Sinners many Times think that they love Holinefs, and defire heartily andfmcerely to be made holy, is, that they, being ignorant of the Nature of true Holinefs, have framed difalfe Image of it in their own Fancies. Did they but diilindly know, the very Thing itfelfy their native Contrariety to it could no longer be hid. Rom.y.S^g, So the Pharifees thought they loved God, and loved his Law ; al- tho' at the fame Time they perfectly hated the Son of God, who was the exprefs Image of his Father, and came into the World to do Honour to his Father's Law. They had wrong Notions of God and of his Law. Ob J. But this tends to drive Sinners toDefpair, Answ. Only to defpair of being faved by their own Righteoufnefs, which they mull be driven to, or they will never fubmit to be faved by free Grace thro' Jefus Chrift. Rom, 7. 8, 9. and 10. 3. Obj. N But yet fome good Men may have been inadvertently led into this Error by the Force of Education. I believe Men's Hearts may be fometimes better than theirHeads. But when a falfe Scheme of Reli- gion does perfeftly fuit a Man's Heart, and exprefs the Temper of his Mind, then no Doubt he is gracelefs. z Joh. 9. & Joh. 8. 47. The above Not:«n of the Promifes perfeaiy fuits a felf-righteous Heart. jy8 True Religion delineafed Dis. L ^- Ob J. Burif thefe nings he true^ there is not any Motive to 'excite a poor Sinner to rej arm ^or pray ^ or read^or do any Thing, Answ. By whichy it is plain, that a Sinner cares not a Jot for God, and will not go one Step in Religion,only for what he can get. And n' fuich a Sinner had ever fo many Motives, he would only ferve himlelf, but not fervc God at all. And what Encouragement can God,confi(lent with his Honour, g'.ve to fuch a one, fince he merits Hell every Moment, even by his beft Duties, but only that which St. Peter gave to Simon Magus P Adl. 8.- 22. Repent, and pray to Cod,!f PERJDFENTJREtbeWlckcdnds of thy Heart may be j or given thee, Ob J. But this way of Reafoning will make Sinners leave off feeking and flriving, and Jit down dijcouraged. ANSw^ Not it Sinners are but effectually awakened to fee how dreadful Damnation is •, for a bare. Who can tell? will make fuch refolve to run, and fight, and ftrive, and beg, and pray 'till they die •, and if they perifh, to perifh at God's Foot. And as for others, ail their Courage ari- fes from their not feeing what wretched, miferable, finful, guiky Creatures they are ; and fo muft be dafn'd to Pieces fooner or later, in this World or the next, w^henever their Eyes come to be opened. And if God ever in this World lliews them what they be, they will thereby perceive what Danger they are in : And now a mere who can ted ? will make them alfo refolve to run for eternal Salvation, 'till their very laft Breath. 'Tis bell that falfeConfidence Hiould be killed, and this Way of Reafoning does not in the leafl tend to hurt any other. 'Tis beft that Sinners (liould know the word of their Cafe, and this Way of Reafoning does not tend to make it appear a Jot worfe than it is. i Ob. J 4 But what Good does it dc, for Sinners to be in fuch earneji to reform, read, watch, pray, run, fight, f rive, as for for their Lives \fince all they do is Sin,and God will have Mercy^ only on whom he will have Mercy. Answ. ( I .) It is iefs Sin to do thefe Things, than not to do them. ; (2.) Sinners never will' be in fuch earnell, only when God comes to awaken and convince, and fo to make them effectually fcnfibie of the areadiul State they arc in j and it fc«/ is and dijlinguiped from all Counterfeits. 179 is not any Difcouragemcnts that can keep them from being in fuch earneft then^^o long as the leailHope appears in their Cafe. Other People care but little about eternal Things, and do but very little in Religion, but what Education, Cuilom, the FaQiion and their worldly Interell excites them unto. Moft People think it fo eafy a Thing to be faved, as that they look upon fuch great Concern and Earneftnefs, as perfect Frenzy. (3.) This great Earneflnefs of awakened Sinners makes them try their Strength to Purpofe ; whereby they come to be experimentally convinced, that it is not in their Hearts to love God, be forry for Sin, or do any Thing that is Good -, whereby the high Conceit they ufcd to have of their Ability and good Nature is brought down, and they feel and find that they are Enemies to God and dead in Sin. And hereby a Foundation is laid for them to fee the Juftice of God in their Damnation, and fo the Reafonablenefs of God's having Mercy, only on whom he will have Mercy. And thus the Law, tho' it cannot give Life^ yet is a School-mafter to bring Men to Chrifi, And thus the main Good the awakened Sinner gets, by going to this School-mafter^ is effeduaily to learn his Need of Chrill, and ofthe freeGrace ofGod thro' \-\\m.Rom.y .^^().Gal.'^,2 1 — 24, This is the great End God has in View, and this End all the Sinner's earneft Strivings are well calculated to obtain. 5. From what has been faid, we may learn the Nature of afaving Ccnver/ion, and the Manner wherein it is wrought^ Converlion confifts in our being recovered, from our pre- fcnt Sinfulnefs, to the m.oral Image of God : Or which i& the fame Thing, to a real Conformity to the moral Law* But a Conformity to the moral Law, confifts in a Difpofi- tion to love God fupremely, live to him ultimately, and delight in him fuperlatively ^ and to love our Neighbour ' as our felves : and a Pradice agreable thereto. And there- fore Converfion confifts in our being recovered from what we arc by Nature, to fuch a Difpofition and Pradtice. And now in order to fuch a glorious Renovation and Recovery, God by his Spirit fcts home the Law upon the Sinner's Heart, caufing him to fee and feel, to Purpofe, juft how he has lived, and what he is, and what be deierves^ N 2 and 1 8 o ^rue Religion delineated D i s . I. and how he is in the Hands of a fovereign God, and at his Difpofal : whereby the Hindrances which were in the Way of his Converrion,are in a Sort removed. Rom. 7.8, 9. For without the Law Sin was dead. For I was alive without the Law once : but when the Commandment camt^ Sin revived^and 1 died. — And then God who commanded the Light to Jhine cut of Darknefs., floines in the Hearty and gives the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory cf God in the Face of Jefus Chriff^ 2 Cor. 4. 6. And now a Senfe of the Glory of God and divine Things being thus imparted to the Soul by the Spi- rit of God, and the Sinner being raifed up from fpiritual Death to fpiritual ^ Life, does return home to God thro' Jefus Chrift, venturing his Soul and immortal Concerns upon the free Grace of God, and thro* him gives up himfelf tb God to be his for ever •, to love him fupremely, live to him intirely, and delight in him fuperlatively, and for ever to walk in all his Ways. And hereby at the lameTime the Man's Heart begins to be habitually framed to love his Neighbour as himfelf, with a difinterefted Impartiality. And thus an effedhial Foundation is laid, for univerfal ex- ternal Obedience, and that from genuine Principles. And as the divine Life is thus begun, fo it is carried on in the Soul much after the fame Manner. The Spirit of God fhews the Believer more and more what a poor, finful, Hell-deferving Wretch he is in himfelf, and fo makes him more and more fenfible of his abfolute Need of free Grace thro' Jefus Chrift, to pardon & to fandlify him. He grows in a Senfe of thefe Things all his Days •, whereby his Heart is kept humble, and Chrift and free Grace made more pre- cious. The Spirit of God fhews the Believer more & more of the infinite Glory and Excellency of God, whereby he is more and more influenced to love him, live to him, and delight in him, with all his Heart. And by the whole, his Heart is filmed roore and more to love his Neighbour as himfelf. And thus the Path of the Juft is like a fhining Light., that ftjines more and rnce., to theperfe^ Day. i'rov.4. iS. Only, it muft be obferved, that the Sp'rit's Operations after Converfion, are attended with two Differences, arifing from two Caules. (i.) From the differ e7tt State of the Subject wrought upon. The Believer not being under the "" Law and diHinguiJhed from all Counterfeits 1 8 1 . Law as a Covenant, is not by the Spirit filled with thofe legal Terrors arifing from the Fears of Hell, as heretofore he was. Rom, 8. 15. But only is made fenfible of his re- maining Sinfulnefs,and the Sinfulnefs andDefert of Sin,and of God's fatherly Difpleafure. And hereby his Heart is humbled and broken. Indeed hereby he i^ many Times filled with unfpeakable Anguifn and Bitternefs of Soul. His Sins are ever before his Eyes^ and his Bones wax old thro' his roaring all the Day long. Pfal. 23. 3. and 51. 3. He is troubled, he is bowed down greatly, he goes mourning all the Day long. Pfal. 38. i — 6. But thefe awakening, convinc- ing, humbling, mourning, purifying Times always end in Peace and Joy and Reft in God ; attended with a greater Degree of Tendernefs of Confcience and holy Watchfulnefs, and followed with bringing forth more Fruit. Pfal, 97. 1 1, and 126, 5, 6. Pfal. 32. 5. and y^. 25 — 28. Joh. 15. 2. 2 Cor, 7. 10, II. Heb. 12. 11. Hof 2. 6, 7, 14, 15. - (2.) From the different Nature of the Subjed: wrought up- on. The Believer not being under the full Power of Sin ■and at perfedl Enmity againft God, as once he was, hence does not refift the Spirit with the whole Heart, while he takes down the Power of Sin, as heretofore he did ; but has a genuine Difpofition to join in on God's Side, and fay, " Let me be effedually weaned from the World, and hum- ** bled, and made holy and heavenly, and be brought into " an entire Subje6tion to God in all Things, tho' by Means " and Methods ever fo crofs to Flefh and Blood. Let me " be ftript naked of all worldly Comforts, and let Shimei *' curfe, and all outward Evils and inward Anguifh of ** Heart come upon me, if nothing elfe will do. Here " Lord, I be in thy Hands, chaften, corre6l, do what thou " wilt with me •, only let Sin die : Sin thine Enemy, the •' worft Evil, and the grcateft Burthen of tny Soul." Rom, 7. 24. 2 Cor. 4. 8,9,16. Jam. 1. 2. Pfal. 119. ji.Heb.iz.^, And he is not only thus willing that God fhould by anyMe- thods take down thePower of Sin in hisHeart,bu alfo joins in with theMethods of divine Grace, and by watching and praying, and by fighting and ftriving, feeks the Death cf every Corruption. And from his thus joining in on God's Side againft the JikJIj^ he is faid in Scripture to crucify ir, N3 ''Gal i82 True Religion delineated Dis. L Gal. 5. 24. And to work out his own Salvation, Phil. 2. li From what has been faid under this Head, we may fee that a faving ConveiTion differs very much from the Con- verfion of thefe four Sorts of Men. • (i.) The worldly Hypocrite. Who makes a ProfelTion of Religion, does many Things, appears zealous, and pretends to be a good Man, merely from worldly Confiderations, and to be ^tta of Men. Mat. 23.5. (2.) The legal Hypocrite. Whofe Converfion is nothing elfe, but a leaving off his vicious Prais^, (ij Awakened Sinners fee themfelves in great Danger, and they therefore earneftly defire and feek after Self-i:^referVation, and this is plainly owing to Nature, and not to any Grace or Goodnefs in their Hearts. Pfal. 66. 3. So that it is plain, that notwithftanding all the awakened Sinner's felfifh Defires and Prayers, yet in the habitual Temper of his Heart, he ftands difpofed to refift the Influences of the divine Spi- rit, with all his Might. He is fo far from being willing to repent of his Sins, that he is utterly unwilling to fee and own his Sinfulnefs -, fo far from defiring to be humbled, that he is by no Means willing to fee the Caufe & Reafoa he has to be humbled •, fo far from defiring to be made fpiritually alive, that he won't fo much as own that he is fpiritually dead ; fo far from defiring the gracious Influen- ces of the holy Spirit to reconcile him to God, that he won't own that he is an Enemy to God, but would fain think, that he heartily defires to love God, and ftands ready to hate and refift that Light, which would difcover the En- mity of his Heart. He that doth Evil^ bateth the Light and flees from it, left his evil Deeds be difcovered •, and for the fame Reafon, he that hath an evil Heart, hates the Light and refifts it, left the Badnefs of his Heart be difcovered. 7. From 1 90 li'rue Religion delineated Dis. I. 7. From all that has been faid v/e may learn, that thofe Jvf.iitnces of the Spirit which will be fiifficient, eff equally to awc.ken, ccnviixe and humble the Sinner, and recover him to God, m/uil be irrejtjtiok ^ndifuperncuuraL That the internal Influer.ccs ci the Holy Spirit are neceflary to reco- ver Sinners to God, is {o plainly held forth every where in the Bible, that the /Irmimans themfelves do not deny it. But how much^ and ivhc.t Kind or Influences are needful, is vtx'j much dif::utcd. l>low fo much^ 2iV\dfncb Scrt of In- fluences are bt-yoiid difpute, ueedfuU as will be fufficient effernia ly to cinjv:cr the End^ and without which no Sinner will ever be converted. 1 his is felf-evident. If Sinners were fo good natur d, as to fee and feel and own their Sin- fulnefs, and the Juilice of the Sentence whereby they iland condemned, and die to themJelves, the World and Sin, and return home to God thro' JefuS Chrift, to ieve him, live to him, and dclighc in him for ever, of their own Accord, merely upon reading the Bible and hearing the Law and the Gofpel preached, then there would be no Need of any inward Influences of the Spirit at all. Cr if they were fo good natured, as to be eafily perfwaded to do fo, then fome fm.all Degree of the inward Influences of the Spirit would do. But if, in x\\^firfi Place^ they are altogether averfe to fee and feel and own their Sin and Guilt, and the Jufl:ice of their Condemnation according to Law^, and en- tirely difpofed to hate and refifl: the Light,as hath but juft now been proved, then they mull be brought to it by an ell- conquering irrefifiihle Grace, or not at all. And it,in the fccond Place^ the clearefl: Sight and greateft Senfe a natural Man can have of what God is^ infl:ead of making him ap- pear infinitely glorious and amiable, in the Eyes of one whofe Heart is dead in Sin, and diametrically oppoflte to the divine Nature, will rather irritate Corruption, and make the native Enmity cl the Eieart ferment and rage, and become but the m.ore apparent and fenfible,as has been heretofore proved, then there mufl: be a fupernatural^ fpiri- tual and di^cine Change wrought in the Heart, by the /w- wf^i^^^ Influences of the Spirit of God, whereby it Ihall become imtural to look upon God as infinitely glorious and amiable in being what he is, and fo a Foundation hereby laid. . '^and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 191 laidjfor us to love him with all our Hcarts,and fo genuine- ly to repent, return and give up our felves to him, to liv^c to him, and delight in him for ever •, I fay, if thefe Things be fo, there muft be fach a Change wrought by the Spirit of God, or not one Sinner in the World will ever be conr verted to God^ And therefore, that there is an abfolutc Necelfity of fach Influences of the Spirit of God, in order to a faving Converfion, is evident to a Demon[lration,from the very Reafon and Nature of Things. God himfelf muft take away the Heart of Stone and give an Heart of Fleflj^ and write his Law on our Hearts^ raife us from the Dead^ create us a-new^ open our Eyes^ &c. &c. according to the Lan- guage of Scripture. And thefe Things God does do, for all that are renewed, and therefore they are faid, to be born of God, to be born of the Spirit, to be fpiritual^to be made Par- takers of the -divine Nature, &c. And God is faid to give Faith, Repentance, and every divine Grace. Ezek, 36. 26. Heb.%,10, Eph. 2.1 — 10. I Cor. 4, 6. Joh.!, 13. 5^ 3. 6. Rom, 8. 6, 9. 2 Pet. 1. 4. A^. 5. 31. Jar,j. i. 17. 8. From what has been faid we may learn to underftand the Bo ^rine of divine Sovereignty in theBeftowrnent of fpecial Grace for the Regeneration and Coiwerficn of Sinners, The Scripture reprefents God as choofingfonu before the Founda- tion of the World, to be holy and to be his Children. Eph. i. 4, 5. And teaches us that whom he did predeftinate, them he alfo calls, and whom he calls them he alfojufiifes, and whom hejufiifies them he alfo glorifies. Rom. 8. 30. - And plainly intimates that fuch as are given to Chrift and ordained to eternal Life, believe, and none other. Joh. 6. 37, 39. Adc. 13. 48. Rom. II. 7. And the Scriptures teach us that God has Mercy on whom he will have Mercy, and Compaffion on whom he will have Compaffion. Rom: 9. 18. And that/?;- the moft Part, he paffes by the rich and great and ho7iourable, and choofes the meaneft and mofi ignoble, that no Flejh might glory in his Prefence. i Cor. i. 26 — 29. He hides the Gcfpel from the wife and prudent, and reveals it toBabes, and that be- caufe it pleafes him fo to do, and Chrift rejoyccs in his fovereign P.leafure herein^ as difplaying his iniiaite W ifdom. M^t. II. 25, 25. V,,: .... And 192 True Religion deli7teated Dis. I. And now what has been faid may fhew us the infinite Reafonablenefs of fuch a Procedure. For, God,whofe Eyes run to and fro thro' all the Earth, feeing allThings as being what they are, plainly beholds and views the State and Temper of this apoftate World ; and let Men pretend what they will, he knows their Hearts, he knows they don't love him nor care for him, he fees all their Hypocri- fy and their inward Contrariety to him and his Law, and how much they are fettled in their Temper •, fo far from Repentance, that they will not fo much as fee their Sin, but ftand to juftify themfelves, infenfible of their Guilt and infenfible of their Defert, hating the Light ; he fees they hate to fee their Sin and Guilt and Defert, and to be hum- bled and lie down at his Foot, and be abfolutely beholden to him i and that they would make the utmoil Refiilance if he Ihould rake them in Hand, and go about thoroughly to convince them by his Spirit howThings really be -, thus he views his apoftate,rebellious Creatures,& fees how finful, how dead in Sin, hov/ contrary to ah Good, and how irre- claimable they be, and upon the whole how much they deferve eternal Damnation. In the Days of Eternity he faw jufb how Things would be before Hand, and now in Time he fees juft how Things a61:uariy be. In the Days of Eternity therefore he faw that there would not be any Thing in them to move him to have Mercy on any, and now in Time he finds it to be the Cafe. And yet he was pleafed then of his meer fovereign Pleafure to determine not to call off all, but to fave fome ; {o tiqw he is pleafed to put his fovereign Pleafure in Execution ; and he has Mercy on whom he will have Mercy, and Compaflion on whom he will have Compafiion, and many Times takes the meaneft and vileft, that theSovereignty ol his Grace might be the mere illuftrious, and the Pride of all Flefn might be brought lcw,and theLord alone be exalted. And furely fuch a Condudt infinitely well becomes the fupreme Gover- nour of the whole World. Indeed, if any of Adarns Race were fo well difpofed, as, of their own Accord, merely upon reading the Bible, hear- ing the Gofpel preached, and enjoying the common Means- of Grace, to believe and repent and to return home to God thro' mdiiijiinguijljed from all Counterfeits. 193 -thro' Jefus Chrift, they might be accepted, pardoned and faved, nor would there be any Room for or Need of Sove- reign Grace. But God who knows the Hearts of all, fees that all the. Pretences of Sinners that Way are but mere Kypocrify, and that at Heart they are his Enemies, and utterly averfe to a Return. — Or if there was any Virtue to be found among any of the fallen Race of Adam^ antece- dent to God's Grace, this might move him to have Mercy upon one rather than another. But he fees that all are in- tirely deftitute of Love to him, ind intireiy at Enmity againft him, wholly void of real Goodnefs, and dead in Sin, and that the only Reafon why fome are not fo out- wardly extravagant and vicious as others, is, becaufe he has by one Means and another rellrained them,and not becaufe they are really better. — And while God thus beholds all alike dead in Sin, and in the Temper of their Hearts by Nature equally averfe to a Return to him, and views all as guilty and Heil-deferving, there is nothing, there can be nothing, to move him to determine to fhcw Mercy to one rather than another, but his own good Pleafure. And therefore he has Mercy on whom he will have Mercy ; he awakens, convinces, humbles, converts whom he pleafcs, and leaves the reft to follow their own Inclinations, and take their own Courfe, enduring with much Long-fuffering the VeplsofJVrath, Let it be here noted, that many of thofe warm Difputes about the Doclrine of divine Sovereignty, which have iilied the Chriftian World, turn very much upon this Point. All are agreed, that v/hofoever believes, repents and returns to God thro' Jefus Chrift, iliall be faved. All will,thcrefore, yield that if Mankind in general were fo good natured. fo well difpofed, as to return to God thro' Jefus Chrift of their own Accord, upon the Calls and Invitations ov the Gofpel, and only by the Influence and Help of thofe Advantages which are common, then all might be faved, nor wculd there be any Need of, or Room for, this fovereign, diftin- guiihing Grace. But if Mankind have none of this good Nature,but are every Way diame:rically oppofite tle.etv'; if all the Calls of the Gofpel, and common IW.ans i.nd Methods of Grace, will have no effectual Inuuuice . pon O tLcm i 194 ^rue Religion delineated Dis. I, them ; if nothing but an almighty, all-conquering Grace can flop them in their Courfe ot Rebellion, fubdue their Lufts, and recover them to God •, if this be the Cafe of all Mankind, then it is plain, that nothing but the meer Mercy of God, can interpofe and prevent a iiniverfalRuin. And it is plain that the fovereign Governour of the whole Woj-ld is, in the Nature of Thmgs, at moil perfect Liberty to fhew this Mercy, to none, or to fome few, or to all, juit as it feems good m his Sight. And fince from Eternity he forefavv jufb how Things would be, from Eternity he might determine what to do. So that the great Queilion is, Whether Mankind are naturally fo entirely averfe to a true Converiion ? For if they be, the Reafonablenels of the divine Sovereignty muft be admitted in this Cafe ; and it they be not, none will any longer plead for it. And what the natural Oppofition of Mankind to Converfion is, may be eafily feen, if we confider what the true Nature of Converfion is, and compare their Temper herewith. And what the true Nature of Converfion is, may be eafily known by confidering the true Nature of the moral Law. — In a Word, if the Law does only require what the Armi- nians and Pelagians fuppofe, and Religion be juft fuch a Thing, 'tis a plain Cafe, that Mankind are not fobad, nor do they need fuch an irrefiflibleGrace. But if the Law re- quires quite another Sort of Holinefs, and fo true Religion be quite anotherSort of Thing,even fuch as Ihave delcnbcd, which lies fo diametrically oppofite to the natural Bent and Biafs of our whole Souls, 'tis plain, 'tis a clear Cafe, that Grace muft be irrefiftible, and can proceed from nothing but meer free Mercy, nor refult from anyThing but the fo- vereign Pleafure of the moft High. So that in fliort, the whole Difpiite is refolved into this Queftion, What does the Law of God require, and wherein does a genuine Con- formity thereto confill ? But of this more afterwards. And from what has been faid we may eafily gather a plain and fhort Anfv/er to all the mighty Cry about Prar- mifes, Promifes to the JJjiconverted^ if they ivill do as well as they can. For 'tis plain, Heaven's Gates ftand wide open to all that believe and repent and return to God thro'Jefup Chrift. J oh. 3.16. And 'tis plain, the Wrath of God is revealed and di/linguifjed from all Counterfeits. 195 revealed againft all that do not fo. Job. 3. 36. And 'tis plain, that there is nothing but the want of a i^ood Tcm* p^r, together with the obitinate Perverfenefs of Sinners, that hinders theirReturn toGod ; and that therefore all their Pretences of being willing to do as well they can, are mere Hypocrify. They are fo unwilling to return to God, or take one Step that Way, that they can be brought back by nothing Ihort of an almighty Power •, and are fo iar,there- fore, trom being entitled to the Promifes of the Gofpel, that they are adually, and that defervediy too, under CondexTi nation by the Gofpel, (Job, 3. 18. J and under all the Curfes of the Law, Gal, 3.10. " Take heed there- *' fore, O Sinner, thou Enemy of God, when you pretend *' that you defire to repent and do as well as you can, that *' you be not found quieting your felf in a State of E- " ilrangcment from God, hiding your natural Averfion " to God & Holinefs under fair Pretences. And know it " if you do, tho' you may deceive your felf by the Means, *' yet it will appear another Day before all Worlds, and it " will be known that you were an Enemy to God, and " would not be reconciled, and did but flatter him with *' your Lips, and lie unti him with your Tongue, in all *' your feemingly devout Pretences. You think your " felf good enough to have art Interefl: in the Promifes, *' but infinite Goodnefs judges you deferve to be numbred " among the Children of Wrath and Heirs of Hell. Job. *' 3. 1 8, 36. Your high Conceit of your own Goodnefs is *' the Foundation of all your Confidence, and both join to " keep you fecure in Sin and under Guilt, and infenfible of ^' your need of Chrifl & fovereign Grace. Luk.^.^i. Rem. 10.3." Did Sinners but fee the Badnefs of theirHeirtSjthey would be foon convinced that thePromifes are not theirs,buc theThreatnings ; and would feel & know that they have no Claims to make, but lie abfoiutely at Mercy. Luk. 18.13. 9. And if it is nothing but the mere Grace & fovereign good Pleafure of God, which moves him to ftoo Sinners in their Career to Hell, and by his irrefiilible and ail- conquering Grace, and by the fupernatural Influences of 'his holy Spirit, I'ubdue their Stubbornnefs, take dov/n the Power of Sin in their Hear ^, and recov^er them to hinifeif : O 2 And 196 True Religion delineated Dis. I. And if he does this for them when they arc at Enmity a- gainfl him, and are his open Enemies by wicked Works, and fo are altogether deferving his Wrath and Vengeance ; I fay, if this be the Cafe, there is all Reafon to think, that he^ who thus begins^ will carry on the Work to Perfe^ion. — He knew how bad the Sinner was when he firft took him in Hand, how he hated to be converted, and how he would refill, and that his own almighty Arm mull bring Salva- tion ; and yet this did not difcourage his firft Undertaking, And he knew how the Sinner would prove after Conver- fion, juil hov; barren and unfruitful, juft how perverfe and rebellious, and juft how apt to forget God and turn away from him, and that his own almighty Grace muft always be working in him to will and to do. Phil. 2. 13. — He knew all the difcouraging Circumftances before-hand, and his infinite Goodnefs furmounted them all, and he had Mercy on the poor Sinner becaufe he would have Mercy on him, of his meer good Pleafure, from his boundlefs Grace, aiming at the Glory of his own great Name. Eph. 1 . 6. — And now this being the Cafe, we have all Reafon to think, that God will never alter his Hand, or leave un- finifhed the Work which he has begun. For there always will be the fame Motive from which he undertook the Work, to excite him to carry it on, even the infinite Good- nefs of his Nature -, and he will be always under the fame Advantages, to anfv/er theEn-d he at firft propofed,namely, the Advancement of theGlory of hisGrace. And he will ne- ver meet with any unforefeenDifHculties orDifcouragements in his Way. We may therefore be pretty certain, if really God begins this Work, under fuch Views and fuch Cir- cumftances, that it is with Defign to carry it on. As Sa- muel reafons in a parallel Cafe, i Sam. 12, 22. For the Lord will not for fake his People for his great Name's fake : he&aufe it hath pleafed the Lord to make you his People. So that if the Dodrine of the Saitits Per fever ance were not ex- prefly taught in Scripture, yet on this Ground we might argue very ftrongly for it. — But that this is a Do6lrine plainly revealed in the Gofpel we may learn, from Mat. 17. 23. Job. 4. 14. & 10. 4, 5, 27, 28. 1 jfok 3. 6,^. Heb. 8, 10. Csf^.-C^fr,— When St, P^«/ kept under his Body and and didinguipjed from all Counterfeits 197 and brought it intoSuh]t^ionjLESTheJbculdhaCaJl-awayy (i Cor. 9. 27.) He did no otherwife than he was wont to do in temporal Concerns, in Cafes wherein he was before- hand certain of the Event. So he fent Word to the chief Captain^ of the Jews lying in wait to kill him, lefi hefhotdd be murdered by them ; whsnas it was revealed to him from God, but the very Night before, that he fhould live to fee Rome. A5i. 23.1 2 — 2 1 . So he would not allow the Sailors to leave the Ship in the midft of the Storm, lefi they fhould fame of them he drowned for want of their Help j whenas, but a little before it was revealed to him from God that not one of them fhould be drowned. A5i. 27. 23 — 31. And indeed, it was his Duty to do as he did, as much as if he had been at the greateft Uncertainties about the Event. So altho' Taul knew that never any 'Thing fhould feparate him from theLove ofGcd^iKom. 8, 3 8.) Yet heufed all pofTi- ble Endeavours to mortity his Corruptions, leji he fhould be a Cafi-away. And indeed, it was his Duty to do fo, as much as if he had been at the greateft Uncertainties about the Event. And what was his Duty, was alfo the Duty of all good Men \ and therefore St. Paul in his Epiflles is fre- quently exhorting all, to do as he did : and that in a per- fect Confiftency with the Do6lrine of the Saints Perfeve- rance^ which he alfb teaches. And as Pauls being certain of the Events did not tend to make him carelefs in the Ufe of proper Means to fave his natural Life, but rather tended to encourage and animate him, as knowing that he fhould finally fucceed •, fo his being certain of the Eventy did not tend to make him carelefs, but to animate him, with refped to his fpiritual and eternal Life. And as it was with him, fo it is with all good Men. Rom.. 6, 2. For this is always the Cafe, that Certainty of Succefs, animates Men •, if the Thing they are about, be what they love and what their Hearts are engaged in -, but to die 1:0 themfelves, the World and Sjn, and love God, and live to him, and grow up into perfed Holinefs, is what all Believers love and have their Hearts engaged after *, an abfolute Certainty, therefore, of Perfeverance has, in the Nature of Things, the greateft Tendency to animate them ro the oigft iprightiy Adivity. There are none by t grace- O 3 lvi5- 198 True Religion delineated Dis. L lefo Hypocrites,that takeEncouragement,from theBo(flrines of free Grace, to Careiefnefs a;id Sin. Rom. 6. i, 2. 10. If this be the Nature of a laving Converuon, if this be the Nature of true HoHnefs, if this be true Rchgion, fo contrary to Flefli and Blocd,and all the habit '^al Fropen- fities of Nature, then fo long as there is the Icafi Corrnpticn left in the Hearty there zvill, of Necejfity, be a continual Con- fii^. Grace w'.ll continually fcek the" Ruin of Sin, thro* it's Contrariety to it and Hatred of it •, and Sin will ftrive to maintain it's Ground, vea and to res;ain it's former Do-' minion. The gracious Nature deliglits m the Law of Gcd, and afpires after fmlefs Ferfedlion ; the fmful Nature hates the Law of God, and drives to lead the Man captive into Sin. The gracious Nature is a Difpofition to love God fupremely, live to him ultimately, and delight in him lu- perlatively v and this fmful Nature is a Difpofition to love Self fupremely, live to Self ultimately, and delight in that which is not God, wholly : and becaufe thefe two ere con- trary the one to the othe:>\ therefore th^. Flcfh "jsill lufl agcrnfl the Spirit-, and the Spirit againjl the Flefb. Gal. 5. 17. The gracious Nature joins in on God's Side againft all Sin •, and while God '-Jjorks in the Man to vdll and to do., he zvcrks cut his cdun Salvation ivith Fear and Tremblings with Caution and Circumfpe(5tion, with Watchfulnefs and holy Concern ; labouring to die to himfelf, the World and Sin, and be wholly the Lord's. FhiL 2. 12, 13. While God is, by his Spirit, rcalifing to his Heart the Being and Perfections of God, the Exiftence and Importance of divine and e:ei':al Things, and is fpreading divine Light over his Soul, and is banifhing felfifh andv/orldly Views, and is drawing his Soul to holy and divine Contemplations ; he feels the di- vine Influence, iie blelies the Lord, he fummons all within- him to Engagednefs, he pants after God. " O that I *' might Icnow him, that I might fee him in his infinite *' Glory ! {PfaL 6g. i, 2.) O GW, thou art my Gody early " r.vill I feek thee : my Soul thi^-fleth for thee^ niyFlcJJjlongetk *' for thee^ in a dry and thirffy Land, rohere no Water is : ^0 *' fee thy Pozver and thy Glory ^fo as I have fcen thee in the ^' Sanctuary, (y-. 8:) JV/v Soul foil oweth hard after thee. *' (rfal. 73. 25.) Whom Live I in lieaxen but tbtc ? And '-'• then and dij}inguij}jed from all Counterfeits, i gg *' there is none upon Earth I defire bcfides thee. O that I " Could, with my whole Heart, love thee for ever, live to *• thee for ever, live upon thee for ever, and ncser, never, " depart from thee ! O that I could think for thee, and " fpeak for thee, and acl for thee ; at Home and Abroad, *' by Day and by Night, always live to thee and upon " thee ! Here, Lord, I give my felf to thee to be for ever " thine, to love thee and to fear thee, and to walk in all " thy Ways and to keep all thy Commands j and O that " my Heart might never depart from thee ! But alas, *^ alas, to will is prejent with me^ to have a Difpofition to *^ all this, and long for all this, and feek and ftrive for all '* this, is eafy and natural, /d/r I delight in the Law of God ^' after the inward Man ♦, hut how to perform I find not \ *' liQw to get my whole Heart, fo to fall in, as that there. " Ihall not be the leail contrary Temper, this is clean be- *' yond me, for I am fill carnal^ fold under Si?i^have another *' Law in my Members^ have ftill the Remains (of the Flefh) *' of my native Contrariety to God and Difpofition to dif- *' relifh divine Things \ and fo am apt to forget God, to " warp off from him, and to have lelfilh and worldly Views " and Defigns fecretly creep into my Mind and Heal away " my Heart from God, and fo am daily led into Captivity,, " O that Sin was entirely dead, that a Difpofition to dif- " relifh God, to forget him, to go away from him, to live " without him, and to feek Content in that which is not *' God, was entirely (lain ! 0 wretched Man that I am^ *' who fhall deliver me P Rom. 7. 14 24. If Grace and Corruption were not fo contrary the one to the other, fo diametrically oppofite, there might pofiibly be an Accommodation between them, and both quietly dwell together in the fame Heart : But now they are fet for each other's Ruin, and feek each other's Deftruction, and like Fire and Water will never reft, till one or the other be entirely deftroycd. Gal. 5. 17. If Grace could be wholly killed, or Corruption wholly Ilain, then the Conflid of Believers might wholly ceafe in this Life ; but Grace is immortal, like a living Spring that fhall never dry, ( Joh. 4. 14. ) like a Root that will evj;^- grow, {Mat, 13. 20 — 23) and Chrift is always purging_ Be- O 4. lievcr.s 200 T^rue Religion delineated Dis. I. lievers,that they may bring forth vioreFruit.{Jeh. 15, 2.)So that he that is born of God cannot Sin as others do^{ i Joh.i,. 9. ) cannot Sin, but againil the Grain of his Heart, the gra- cious Nature continually refifting. (Gal. ^. ly.) So that it is certain, ircm the Nature of Things, that David and Solorrion^ neither of them felt, in their woril Frames, as graceiefs Men do. Grace refifted within, (G^/. 5. 17.) hating their Proceedings, nor did it ceafe inwardly to foug- gle and torment them, till the one cries out, Aly Bones zvax eld thro' ;;2>' roaring all the Bay long. Pfal. 52. 3. Y ox his Sin was ever before his Eyes. Pfal. 31. 3. And the other. Vanity of Vanities^ all is Vanity and Vey:ation of Spirit, ' Eccl. I. 2. Many Storiy-Ground-Hearers., who were once filled v/ith Light and Jcy,do wheji theirReligion is all worn out, and they lie dead and bhnd and ftupid whole Months and Years together, cry. The hefi are dead fometimes ; and have Keccurie to David and Solomon : and many a Hypo- crite, whofe Religion is only by Fits and Pangs, fome- tim.cs floated as the Streets be in Summer, by a fudden Shovv-er, and then in a few Days as dry as ever, deceive themfclves here \ and many take natural Confcience to be a Princiole 01 Grace, and the War betv/een that and their Corruptions to be a gracious ConPiid : But as all coun- terfeit Religions are fpecifically different from the true, as has been already Ihewn, fo by Confequence their Confiitfl: is different from that which Believers have, in it's very Nature. They fight, from different Principles, and for different Ends, and about different Things, and in a dif- fcrentManner,ju{las theirReiigions difterfromone another. II. If this be theNature of Converfion andHolinefs^and the Manner wherein they are wrought, and if true Religion be thus fpecifically different from all Counterfeits,/^^;/ ;;/^ Believers oe infallibly certain that they have true Grace. A Man cannot but perceive his own Thoughts, and knov/ hat Views he has, and be intuitively acquainted with his o .vu Defigns and Aims ; fo every Man knows it is with him. as to the Things of this World. Much lefs is it pof- ilible tliat there Hiould be fo great a Change in a Man's ikrat and Ljfc, Thoughts, Affcdions and A^^tions, as there is and difiingutjhed from all Counterfeits. 201 is made by Converfion, and yet he know nothing about it; For a Man to be awakened, oat o-f a State of Security in Sin, to fee whau a fnifui, guilty, helplefs, loft, undone Eftate he is in, and yet not to perceive any Thing of it, evidently implies a Contradidlion, and fo is in the Nature of Things impofTible. For a Man to be brough: to fee God in his infinite Glory, fo as to be difpofed to love him fupremely, live to him ultimately, and delight in him fu- perlatively,&: yet not to perceive it, i. e. not to be confcious of his Views and AfFe6i:ions, alfo implies a Contradidion, and fo is impoffible. For a Man to lofe his felfifh and worldlyViews more and more, from Year to Year, and die to himfelf, the World andSin, and tor a Man to live a Life of Communion with God, perfe6ling Holinefs in the Fear of the Lord, and yet not at ail to perceive it, is utterly im- polTible. For the Mind of Man is naturally confcious to it's own Actings. So, from the Nature of Things, it is evident that Grace is perceptible. Yea, in it's own Nature, it mutl be as perceptible as Corruption, Love to God as Love to the World, Sorrow for Sin as Sorrow forAfflidbion, aiming at God's Glory as aiming at our own Honour and Intereft. But if true Grace be in it*s own Nature percep- tible, and if it be alfo fpecifically different from all Coun- terfeits, it is Self-evident that a good Man may know that he has true Grace. I cannot fee why, extraordinary Cafes excepted, a good Man, who lives a Life of Communion with and Devotednefs to God, and in the daily Exercife of every Grace, may not come to know that he has Grace. Surely he muft be confcious to the Adings of his own Mind j for this is natural. And furely he may fee the Difference between his Religion and all Countcrfeits,when the Difference is fo great & plain. So that if theScriptures did not exprefly teach us that AfTurance is attainable, it is yet evidently demonltrable from the Nature of Things. But the Scriptures do plainly teach thisDod:rine,in 2 Fet. I. 10. I Job, 5. 13. I Job, 2. 3. and 3. 14. &c. &c. — - Befides, all thofe Promifes, that are made for the Comfort and Support of God's People in this World, fuppofc that they may know that they are the People of God. For unlefs a Man knows, that he is a Child of God, he cannot rationally 202 True Religmi delineated Dis. I, rationally take Comfort in thofe Promifes, which are pecu- liar to fuch. It is true, brazen Hypocrites will do fo, but they ad' very prefumptuouily. It is Folly & Madnefs for me to flatter my felf, that God has promifed to do fo and fo for me, unlefs I knew that I am one to whom the Pro- mifes belong. For Inftance, it is Folly and Madnefs for me to believe^ that God will make all Things work together for 7ny Good, according to that Promife in Rom. 8. 28. unlefs I know that / love God : For this Promife plainly refpeds fuch, and no other. Bat there are very many pre- cious Promifes made to Believers in the Word of God, wnich are evidently defigned tor theirComfort and Support. It is certain therefore that God thinks that Believers may know they are fuch, without which Knowledge, all thefe Promifes cannot attain this their End. Befides, to fuppofe that to be a Servant of God and a Servant of the Devil, to be going the Way to Heaven and the Way to Hell, to be travelling in the narrow Way and to be travelling in the broad Way, are fo near alike, as that even good Men themfeives cannot pofTibly know them afander, and which Way they are going, is on every Ac- count intolerably abfurd •, nor could the Chriftian World have pofTibly drunk m fuch a Notion but that true Grace is fo very rare a Thing. I may here by the Way jufl obferve thefe three Things. I . That the IVay for a Man to know that he has Grace^ is not to try himfelf by fallible Signs ^ but intuitively to look into hiin- felf and fee Grace. A Thoufand Signs of Grace will not prove that a Maji has Grace. There is no Sign ot Grace to be depended upon, but Grace it felf : For every Thing, but Grace, a Hypocrite may have. And what Gracc,Ho- linefs, or true Religion is, I have already endeavoured to fhew. 2. That the Way for a Man to know that he has Grace., is not to judge himfelf by the 'Degree and Meafure of his religious Frames and Affe^ionSy or the Height of his At- tainments i but by thefpecial Nature of them. For as there is not any one Grace but a Hypocrite may have it's Coun- terfeit, fo Hypocrites may rife as high in their Religion as any true Believer does in his. Was Elijah the Prophet jealous for the Name and Worfhip of the true God and againll . and dijiinguijhedfrom all Counterfeits. 203 againft falfe Religion ? So was Jehu. And he appeared as full of Zeal, and more Couragious, and did greater Exploits. There was fcarce a more zealous Saint than Elijah^ in all Old-Teftument Times •, but yet Jehu^ that Hypocrite, made a much greater Shew and Noife, feemed to be fuller of Zeal, and Courage, and adlually did greater Exploits, fet- ting afide the Miracles God wrought by Elijah. ( i Kings 1 8, and 19. Chap. — 2 Kings 9, and lo. Chap.) And we don't read of one Saint, in ail tlie Bible^ that faded in a conftant Way, twice every Week, as the Pharifee did. (Luk. 18. J And there is not one Saint in all the Bible that ever did, externally and vifibly, any higher Ads of Self-denial, than to give all his Goods to feed the Poor^^.nd his Body to be burnt y and yet St. Paul intimates that a Man may do fo and fiill have no Grace in his Heart, i Cor. 13. 3. It is no certain Evidence therefore, that a Man is a good Man, becaufe he has 3, great deal of Religion, more than the moil, and full as much as the beft, yea more than any in all the Country, yea,or in all the whole World. For mjehus Time, there was not perhaps for a while one like him, upon the Face of the whole Earth. A Man therefore cannot know that he is a good Man, by the Degree of his Religion, but only from x\\zfpecial Nature of it. And wherein true Religion y/^rf- fM:ally differs from all Counterfeits, I have already fliewn.— 3. Since Grace is in it's own Nature perceptible., zx\^fpeci- jically different from all Counterfeits, there is no Need of the immediate Witnefs of the Spirit^ in order to a full Ajfurance. If the Spirit of God does but give us a good Degree of Grace, and enlighten our Minds to underftand the Scrip- tures, and fo to know the Nature of true Grace, we may then perceive that we have Grace. And the more Grace we have, the more perceptible will it be, and it's difference from all Counterfeits will be the more plain. And if a Be- liever may know, and be certain, that he has Grace, with- out the immediate Witnefs of the Spirit, then fuch a Wit- nefs is altogether needlefs, and would be of no Advantage ; but God never grants his Spirit to Believers to do Things needlefs and to no Advantage : and therefore there is no fuch Thing as the immediate Witnefs of the Spirit in this Affair. And befides, 'tis plain, the Scriptures every where diredt 2 04 True Religion delineated D i s • I. dired us to look into our felves, to fee whether we love God and keep his Commands, to fee whether Chrift in his holy Nature be formed in us, to fee whether thcSpirit as an enlightener and fanclifier dwells in us and influences and governs us ; but never once diredls us to look for the im- mediate Witnefs of the Spirit, in order to know whether we have Grace. Ob J. But the Text fays exprejly^ The Spirit it felf beareth Witnefs with our Spirit, that we are the Children of God. Rom. 8. i6. Ans. But the Text does not in the leaft intimate, that the Spirit witneffes immediately. The Spirit hears witnefs j brut how ? The Spirit jnakes it evident .,th2it we are the Chil- dren of God ; but in what Way .? By immediate Revelation ! No, the Scripture no where tells us to look for fuch Reve- lations, or lays down any Marks whereby we may know which come from God, and which from the Devil. How then does the Spirit make it evident that we are the Chil- dren of God, and by what Witnefs does he make it appear ? Not by telling of us that we are Children^-, the Devil may tell Hypocrites fo •, but by making of us Children in the very Temper of our Hearts^ by giving to us much of a Child-like Frame of Spirit towards God, a Thing the Devil cannot do, and fo a Thing by which we may certainly know. This holy, divine, child-like Frame andTemper of Heart, where- by we bear the very Image of our heavenly Father, is God's Mark^ which, more or lefs confpicuoufly, he fets upon all theZ^;;;^j of his Flock. This is the Seal of the Spirit. (Eph. I. 13.) For this is the Earneft of our Inheritance, {f.i^.) *Tis eternal Life begun in the Soul. {Joh. 17. 3O This is called the Witnefs of the Spirit., becaufe it is what the Spirit works in our Hearts, and that by which he makes it evident that we are the Children of God : the Befign of Witneffes being to make Things evident. And indeed this is the only diftinguifjjing Mark that God puts upon his Children, and the only Thing wherein they differ from all Hypocrites, and is the only Evidence the Scripture direds them to look for and exped, and without which all other Evidences are juft good for Nothing. Mat. 7, W— 27. Jojp. 15. 2. i Joh^ -• 3-> 4- ajxl 3. 6—10. And J and dijiinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 205 And this being thcCafcjWe may fee how much out of the Way thofe be, who think and {diy^that it is aSin for them to doubt theGoodnefsof theirState^becaufe of their Badncfs^^ becaufe they can fee no Grace in their Hearts. " For, fay they, that " would be to callGod'sTruth ScFaithfuhiefs intoQueftion, " who has by his Spirit immediately allured me of his " Love and my Salvation •, jufl as if the Immutability of *' his Purpofe depended upon my good Frames. No, I " muft do as Abraham did, ivho againfi Hope^ believed in " Hope ^ lb tho' 1 fee no Grace in my Heart or Signs of *' any, yet I muft believe my State is good, and that I fhall *' be faved. It is not my Duty to look fo much into my *' own Heart, I fhall never be the better for that ; but I " muft look to Chrift, and believe, and never doubt. For " the Spirit of God did zx,fuch a l^ime affure me of Chrift's *' Love to me,and I knew I was not deceived, and itwould " now be a great Sin in me to doubt, it would be a giving " the Lie to Chrift and to the holy Spirit." How fad a Delufion are fuch poor Sinners under, who dare not believe the holy Scriptures, for fear they fhall Sin, which every v/here affure us, that unlefs we are holy in Heart and Life,our Faith is vain and we in a State of Con- demnation ; and teach us that we ought to be no more confident of our good Eftate, than in Proportion as our Sandlification is evident ! How fad it is that they fhould attribute all their Doubts to carnal Reafon or the Dezily which indeed are but the fecret Didlates of their own Con- fciences, and are fo agreeable to the Word of God ! What a dreadful Spirit is this, that thus leads them off from the Word of God ^ and fo blinds their Minds, that they can- not underftand it, nor dare believe it ! Surely it can be no other than Satan transfermed into an Angel of Light. * Alas I * Ob J. JSut the Scripture forbids Doubting. Mat. 14 31. O thou of little Faith, wherefore didft thou doubt ? Answ. In that Text Chrift does not blame Peter for doubting his State> but for doubting he (hould be drowned. Ob J. ^/^^C^r/>? upbraided them with their Unbelief, Mar. 16, 14. Answ. He did nor blame them for not believing they were in a good Eftate, but for not believing that he was rifen from the Dead. Ob J. J: lit Abraham is commendndy in Z^^/ againft Hope he believed in Hope, Rom. 4. 18. Answ. 2o6 True Religion delineated Dis. I. Alas ! Alas ! How dees the God" of this World blind the Minds of them that believe not ! Some firmly believe that there is no fuch Thing, as a good Man's knowing that he hasGrace ; and fo they contentedly live along, not know- ing what World they are haflening unto, to Heaven or to Hell •, but they hofe their State is good, and hep their Hope is well grounded, but know not but that their Hope is that of the Hypocrite. Yea, they are not willing to believe there is any luch Thing as knoiving^ for that would make them fufped that they are wrong, and that true Religion is fonie- thing they never had : which if it be the Cafe, yet they are not willing to know it. They hide themfelves in the dark ! Answ. But the Thing to be believed, and hoped for,was, that he fhould have a Son, which he had good Grounds to cxpetl : So this is no- tliing to the Purpofe. Ob J. But St. Paul fays. We walk by Faith, and not by Sight, 2 Cor. 5. 7. Answ. That is, in all their Condu6l they were governed by a realizing Belief of unfeen Things, and not by Things feen and temporal. zCor. 4. 18. It was not Fai'.i\ Way to lie dead whole Months and Years together, nor was he ever drove to fuch a Strait, as to be forced to believe bimfelf to be in a good Eflate, without fufficient Evidence. Obj. But, what is not of Faith, is Sin, Rom. 14. 23. But Doubts arife from XJvbelief. Answ. 1. If any Man does not believe that it is lawful for him to do feme particular A61, and yet ventures to do it, he fins, he a6ts againft his own Confcience. This is the plain Senfe of the Text. And fo this Text is nothing to the Purpofe. 2. An Hypocrite's Doubts are wont to arife from Unbelief, i.e. from his not ftedfafUy believing the immediate Revelations which he had from the Devil, that his Sins are pardoned. The De\'il trys to keep him quiet, but fometimes his Confcience is a little awakened,aiid then he fears and doubts he is deluded -, and now the Devil tries to make him believe that it is a Sin to doubt. The Devil would fain make him believe all is well, i. e. believe at a venture, without a thoro* Search and Trial, and without fufficient Evidence. 3. It is a Sin for a true Behever to live fo as not to have his Eviden* ces clear ; but it is no Sin for him to be fo honeft and impartial, as to doubt, when in Fad his Evidences are not clear. It is a Sin to darken hs Evidences ; but it is no Sin 10 fee that they are darkened. It is 2 Sin for a Ivian, by Rioting and Drunkennefs, to nake himfclf fick ; but it is no Sin to feel that he is fick ; or, if there be Grounds for it, to do bt he fhall die. We may bring Calamities upon our {^\sti by our S ns, both outu-ard and inward ; and our Calaiwitie.'j may arife from ouj Sins i and yet our CaLaaiiues have not the Nature of Sinsy and dijiinguifhed fro?n all Counterfeits. 207 dark ! They fay. There is no Light I And will not believe that a good Man may knew that he has paffed from Death to Life, While ethers from the very fame Principle, viz. hecaife they hate the Lights firmly believe that it is a Sin to doubt ', and fo will never, dare never, call their State into Queilion, and thoro'ly look thro' the Matter. Both are equally rotten at Heart, and fo equally hate the Light, altho' they cake different Methods to keep from it. And the Devil does his utmoft, to keep both fall bound where they are. Happy the true Believer, who is made impartial by di- vine Grace 1 It is a Recovery to God and Holinefs,that he is after -, a Confidence that his Sins are pardoned, without this, would be but a poor Thing. If he obtains this, he gets what he wants : and if not, he feels himfelf undone ; nor can he flatter himfelf that he has obtained it, when he has not. And this he makes his only Evidence of God's eternal Love, and of his Title to eternal Glory •, and be- lieves his State to be good, no farther than this goes. Mat. 7. 21 27. Thus I have gone thro' the /r/? Ufe, the Ufe of J)7flrudfio7i. And thus we fee how a right underftanding of the La-zv, will fet.many of the Important Dodrines of Religion in a clear and eafy,.,-in a fcriptural and rational' Light. By the Law we may learn the primitive State of Man, Sinsy but are rather of the Nature of Pumjhmenfs. 'Tis Sin in Belie- vers which lays the Foundation for Doubts ; 'tis Sin which is the Oc- cafion of their Doubts ; but their Doubts are not Sins e'er the more for this. Some feem to fuppofe that every Thing which is occafion- ed by Sin, is Sin : but there is no Truth in their Suppofition. 'Tis not a Sin for unconverted People to think themfelves to be unconverted, and yet that Thought of themfelves is occafioned by Sin : for their being unconverted is their Sin. Ob J. But Bclie'vers are exhorted to hold fall their Confidence. Heh. 3. 6. And it is faidy ver. 14. For we are made Partakers of Chrift, if we hold the beginning of our Confidence ftedfafl unto the End. Answ. That is, their Confidence that Jefus is the Cbrijiy together with a true Faith in him, as is manifeft from the whole Context. Nor is any Thing more abfurd than to fay, that Men Ihall be made Partakers of ChriJ}, if they hold fall their Co,nfidc7ice oi their good EJi^te, which is yffhRt many a Hypocrite does, aAd that to the very lalt. Mat. 7.22. Luk. 13. 25, 26, 27. 2o8 True Religion delineated Dis. I. Man, and how low we are fallen, and to what wc mull be recovered ^ and fo by Confequence how averfc we are to a Recovery, what Grace we need to recover us -, and fb by Confequence that we muft be faved by fovcreign Grace, or not at all \ whence the Reafonablenefs of the Saints Perfe- verance appears \ and from the whole, the Nature of the chriftian Confli6l, and the Attainablcnefs of AlTurancc are difcovered. And I will conclude this Ufe with two Re- marks. Remark i. If the Law requires what, I think, I have proved it does, and a Ccnforrnity to it confifls in what I have before defcribed ^ then all the other Particulars do necefiarily & moft inevitably follow : Such was the Image of God in which Adam was created, and luch is our natural Depravity, and fuch are the bell Duties of the Unregene- rate, and fuch is the Nature of Converfion, and our Aver- fion to it, &c. So that if my firft Principles are true, then the whole Scheme is beyond Difpute true alfo. — And what are my firft Principles ? Why, that to love God with all our Hearts, and our Neighbours as our felves, is origi- nally the very EfTence of Religion : And that theGrounds upon which God requires us fo to do, are to be the Mo- tives of our Obedience. He requires us to love him fu- premely &c. becaufe he ii fupremely 'glorious and amiable, and becaufe our additional Obligations to him are what they are. He requires us to love our Neighbours as our felves, becaufe they are what they are, and ftand in fuch Relations to us. With a perfedt moral Redlitude of Tem- per, influenced and governed by Truth, by the Reafon and Fitnefs of Things, he would have us love and glorify him as GOD, i. e. as being what he is ^ and love and treat our Neighbours as being what they are. And is not this evidently the meaning ot the divineLaw ? Remark 2. If the Law, as a Rule of Life, be fo abated and altered, as that now it only requires us merely from a Principle of Self-love and for Self-Ends fincerely to endea- vour to love God and keep his Commands, and aim at his Glory : and if the Law, as a Covenant,be difannulled, and fuch an Obedience be fubftituted in the Room of Perfedtion, as a Condition of eternal Lite, or as a Condition of and dijlingutjhed from all Counterfeits. 209 of our Intereft in Chrift •, then the contrary to all that I have laid down is moil true and certain. For let the pri- mitive State of Man be what it would, 'tis plain, we are not entirely dedicate of a Conformity to this new Law, much lefs diametrically oppofite to it in the natural Tem- per of our Minds, nor are our beft Duties, while unrege- nerate. Sin -, 'tis plain, Converfion is another and a much eafier Thing, and that we are not fo intirely averfe to it. and do not need irrefiflible Grace, nor lie at God's fove- retgn Mercy, &c. All thcfe Things, and many more fuch like, are plain, if t\itgGod old Law is thus altered and abated, and thus difan nulled, if the new Law requires no more, and this be the Condition of eternal Life, or of an Intereft in Chrift. — So that if any are difpofed to diibe- lieve what have been laid down as Confequences, and to build up another Fabrick, if they will be confiftent with themfelves, they can lay no other Foundation than this* viz. To deftroy the Law ; which I have before proved to be as impolTible as to deftroy the Nature of God ', becaufe the moral Law necelTarily refults from the divine Perfeclions, and our Obligations to conform to it are infinite, eternal and unchangeable, as the Nature and Ferfeclions of God himfelf. And therefore, I think, we may conclude with the greatcft Certainty, that this Foundation, viz, that theLaw is thus abated and altered, is but Sand ; and that the Fa- brick built upon it will not ftand. If the Law had requir- ed us to love our felves fupremely, and live to our felves ul- timately, and to have endeavoured to love God and our Neighbours only to anfwer our own Ends ; then this Sort of Religion would have been right. Did I hy^^ight f No, it would not be right, being unalterably contrary to the very Reafon and Nature of Things •, nor could fuch a Law have been pofTibly made by a God who lovesRighteoufnefs, and hates Iniquity. — But if this was rights if this was Re- ligion, 'tis plain. Mankind have the Root of the Matter in them -, for^ey arc all naturally inclined to love themfelves fupremely,and live to themfelves ultimately -, and fo would not need to be born again ^ to have a new Nature •, the old Na- ture would be luiEcient j they would only need to be ccn- r vinced 210 True Religio7i delineated Dis. I. vinced that it is for their Intereft to endeavour to love God and do their Duty, and merely Self-love would make them religious, in order to anfwer their own Ends. But if the Law never has been thus abated and altered, then this Re- ligion is really no Religion at all, nothing but mere Hypo- crify, and di a Nature diametrically oppofite to true Holi- nefs. Only let it be clearly determined, What the Nature cf the moral Law is^ and there will be a final End put to a hundred Cont rover lies. Here is a Man, he reforms his Life a little, and joins with the Church, he prays in his Family, and fometim.es in his Clofet,and for the mod Part, it may be, he is honeft in his Dealings, and civil and fober in his Behaviour ; and this is his Converfion, this is his Religion. And now he pleads, that Converfion is a gradual Thing, becaufe his was fuch •, and that a Man cannot know when he was con- verted, becaufe that is the Cafe with him -, that there is no Need of irrefiftible Grace, becaufe he knows that it is a pretty eafy Thing to convert as he has done ; and he hates the Doclrine of divine Sovereignty, becaufe he never felt any Need of a fovereign Grace to fave him j and he holds falling from Grace, becaufe his Religion is as cafily loft as got.— But does he know that he has any Grace, after all ? No, no, that is a Thing (fays he) none can know. He be- lieves, the holy Spirit alTifts him •, but he is not fenfible of his Infiuenres or of any Help from him, any more than if he had none. He believes, he loves God and is a true Saint at Heart •, but he does not feel any more Love to God, or Grace in hisHeart,than as if there was none there ; and the Reafon is, becaufe there is none. But being fe- cure in Sin, and it being for his worldly Intereft to make a ProfefTion of Religion, he now fets up tor a good Man. For without the Law Sin is dead^ and fo he is ali-ve without the Lazv. Rom. 7. 8, 9. And now thofe Do6lrines and that Preaching, which is calculated to deted his Hypocrify and awaken him out of his Security, he hates and cries out againft. And if any feem to experience any Thing further in Religion than he has, for that very Reafon, he condemns it all for Delufion. But he pretends mightily to plead up for Morality and good Works, tho' in Truth he is and difttnguijhed from all Counterfeits. "211 is an Enemy to all real Holinefs. This is the Courfe of many, but Ibme are more fincere and ftridl and confcien- tious in their Way. But let Men be ever fo fincere, ftridl and confcientious in their Religion, if all refults merely from Self-love, the flavifli Fears of Hell, and mercenary Hopes of Heaven ; there is not in all their Religion, the leaft real genuine Conformity to the moral Law. It is all but an hypocri- tical, feigned Shew of Love and Obedience. It is not the Thing which the Law requires, but fomething of a quite different Nature : unlefs we lay afide God's old and ever- lailing Law, and invent a new, abated, altered Law, which lliall declare that to be right, which in the Nature of Things is unalterably wrong : and by fuch a Law, fach a Religion will pafs for genuine. But it is fad, when we are drove to invent a new Law^ to vindicate our Religion and our Hopes of Heaven ; fince at the Day of Judgment we fhali find the old Law to be in full Force. I am fenfible, that old Objection will always be rifmg : *' But it is not jufl that God fhould require of us more " than we can do, and then threaten to damn us for not *' doing of it." Jufl as if God may not require us to love him with all our Hearts, merely becaufe we are not fuited with him : And jufl as if we were not to Blame for being of fuch a bad Temper and Difpofition, merely becaufe we are thoro'ly fettled in it and have noHeart to be otherwife : Jufl as if the worfe any one is, the lefs he is to "Blame ; than which nothing can be more abfurd. Truly, I cannot but think, that by this, we are fo far from being excufed, that even merely for this, wx deferve eternal Damnation. For what can be much w^orfe, than be fo thoro'ly fettled and fixed in fuch a bad Temper of Mind ? But notwith- llanding all that I have offered to clear this Point heretofore, I will add, that if it is not juft for God to require any more of us than we can do •, i. e. any more than we have, not only a natural^ but a moral Power to pertcrm ; then thefc Things will neceffarily follow : I . nat there was not the leaft Need of Chriji^s dyin^ for us as cur Redeemer. For, did we need him to make ariy Atonement or Satisfadion for our Sirs ? Surely no. For P 2 God 212 True Religion delineated Dis. L God could not juftly require of us more Satisfa6lion for our Sins, than we were able to make •, for that would be to require more than we can do. — Did we need him to pur- chafe the divine Favour and eternal Life for us ? Surely no. For God could not juilly require any more of us as a Condition of his Favour and eternal Life, than we our felves were able to do. — Did we need him to purchafe an Abatement of the Law ? Surely no. For God could not in his Law juftly require of us more than ^we could do ; and we did not need to have the Law brought down lo'v^- er than this. — Well therefore might St. Paul itW the Gala- tionS) that ;/ Righteotifnefs came by the Law, then Chriji is dead in vain. Gal. 2. 21. For if our doing as well as we can, in the Senfe before explained, is all that Righteoufjufs that God can juflly require ; this alone mod certainly would be every Way fufficient for our Salvation ; nor did we need a Saviour any more than the Angels in Heaven ; for we have jufh as much Power to do as well as we can^ as they have to do as well as they can. To fay the contrary, is a Contradidion in exprefs Terms. 2. Nor was there the leafi Need that the holy Spirit Jhould he fent into the World, to grant any inward Affiftayice, to ena- ble us to do cur Duty ; for we had a full and perfed: Power to do all our Duty, without any fuch AfTiftance ; for God could not juftly require of us, any more than we could do -, and every one is able to do what he can, without any AfTif- tance. So that if thisPrinciplebe tru^.,thatGod cannot juftly require of us any more than we can do,it is plain we neither needed a Redeemer nor 2iSantlifier •, So that all the inEnitePaias which God has taken for our Redemption and Salvation, has been unneceflary and fruiclefs. To do as well as we could, was all that would have been needful ; and this is ftill as much required as ever. So that we are juft where wc lliould have been, if nothing had ever been done for us. So that this Notion entirely undermines and fubverts the whole Chriftian Religion, in fuppofing that all the extraordinary and won- derful Provifion therein made for the Salvation of Sinners was ncedlefs. For if all was needlefs, then the whole is pcrfedtly incredible -, for it is incriWible to fuppofe that God and dijlinguijhed from all Connterfeits. 213 God would do fo much and fuch great Things, when there was no Need oF it. So that this Notion leads diredly to Infidelity. Yea, if this Principle be true, we may be cer- tain that the Golpel is full of Deceit •, for the Gofpel every where fuppofes Sinners to have been in a helplefsy undone Eftate, and that they might juftly have been left fo, and perifhed for ever. And it every where reprefents it as owing entirely to the free Grace and infinitely great Good- nefs of God, that he fent his Son into the World to be a Saviour, and the holy Spirit to be a San^tjfier -, all which ^ upon this Principle, is notorioully falfe. For we were not in a helplejs^ undone Condition •, being able, of our felves, to do all\\\2X God could juftly require of us, in order to eternal Life. Nor did we need to be beholden to God for his Grace and Goodnefs, his Son or his Spirit -, being able, of our felves, to do all that which he could juftly require at our Hands. Yea, upon this Principle, the (jofpel of- fers the higheft Affront to human Nature, in that it fuppofes us to be fuch vile, helplefs, undone, guilty Wretches, when, indeed, and inTruth, we be not. And therefore fo long as Men really believe thisNotion,they cannot pofTibly but hate the Do6trines of the Gofpel, and oppofe them. And fo, in Fadl, it has always been. To conclude, therefore, fince it is fo evident from the Law^ and fo evident from the Gofpel^ that we are finful, guilty, helplefs, undone Creatures ; had not we better give into it, and come dov/n, and lie in the Duft, before the Lord, who knows what we be, whether we will own it or no } Had we not better own his Law to be holy, juft and good, and acknowledge that we lie at his fovereignMercy> and be willing to be beholden to free Grace thro' Jefus Chrift for our Salvation •, fince we muft do fo, or never be faved ? What will it profit us to fly in his Face, and fay, // is not juft for him to require more than we can do^ and then damn us for not doing f When all that he requires, is only that we love God with all our Hearts^ and our Neigh- f?our as our felves ♦, which, in the Nature of Thi|igs is infi- nitely reafonablc ; and when all pijr Impotency arifes only from our Badnefs,and fo, inftead of extenuating our Faulty .only ^ifcovers how bad we be. Surely fince all the Worlvi P 3 UA 214 True Religion delineated Dis. I. ftand guilty, before God, really guilty, and are fo accounted by him \ we all had bed ftop our Mouths, and own the Sentence juil, by which we Hand condemned ; while it is a Time of Mercy : for who can tell butGod may pity us ? There is but one Way now left to evade the Force of what has been faid. To a ftridl Demonftration, the Law is not, and cannot be abated : there is now no Way there- fore but to deny that there ever ivas fiich a Law. But then, if God be what I fuppofe him to be, to a Demonftration the Law muft be fuch too. There is no Way therefore, but to deny that there is any fuch GOD ! Well, but if God be not what I fuppofe ; wba/: is he ? Why, we may fee the whole Scheme, by the following OhjeElion^ in a few Words. Ob J. Gcd is a Being of infinite IJnderfl ending and almighty Tcjoer^ 'perfectly difpofed to feek the Good and Happi'nefs of his Creatures., as his LAS^T END. He loves Virtue and rewards it^ merely becanfe it tends to make them happy. He hates Vice and punifbes it., merely hecaufe it tends to make them miferahle. All he has in View., in his Commands and Prohibitions., in his P^omifes and Threatnings., is the Gccd^ and nothing hut merely the Good., cf hisCreatures. Tea Joe efleemsT-hings to be virtuous., merely hecaufe the-'] tend to make us happy., and vicious merely hecaufe they tend to make us miferable. And now there- fore., if we look upon things as he does., and prof ecute the fame End ; if we love and pra6fifeVirtue with a fine ere View to our own Happinef.., as our LAS'T END ; we do all that God would have us do. And how can we., if we weigh Things^ but weft heartily andftncerely love fo good a God., fo kind a Fa- ther^ who fo dearly loves us., and fo tendei'ly feeks cur Good ? Ans. IVue, if God were vtnljfuch a one., the moft wick- ed Man in the World could not but love him. Self-love would make it natural. Even Publicans love thofe, who love them •, and arc good to thofe, who are kind to them. IMat. 5. Did Men iirmly believe God to be fuch a one, they could not indeed polTibly be at Enmity againft him. Self-love would not admit of it. Men would not need any Grace to make them love God : Nature would make them iovc lum. They could not but love him, fo long as they loved thcmfelves. And now if God indeed be fuch a one, I readily own,th«re is no Truth in my whole Scheme •, but, from and diftinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 215 from firft to laft, it is all a Miftake. For it is altogether built upon a Suppofition, that there is a God, of a Temper ejfentially different. But then I would ^ery^ if God be fuch a one, if he aims only at his Creature's Happinefs, why does he ever inflid Mifery upon them ? If he means only to make them hap- py, why does he ever make them miferable ? Why did he drown the old Worlds burn Sodom^ and why does he damn Sinners to all Eternity ? It cannot be, becaufe Juftice requires it. For, upon this Scheme, Juftice does not require it, ' For upon this Scheme Sin does, in ilridl Juftice, deferve no Punilhment at all A Crime deferves no Punilhm.ent, any farther than it is blame-worthy. A Crime is blame-worthy, no farther than we are under Obligations, to do otherwife. According to their Scheme, all our Obligations to be virtuous refulc merely from its Tendency to make us happy. Upon their Scheme therefore, a Sinner is to blame for his Sins, merely becaufe Sin is crofs to his own Happinefs,and tends to make him miferable. There is no other Evil in Sin but this. This is the only Reafon why God hates it, is fet againft it, and difpofed to punifh it. This is the only Reafon why he would have them avoid it. And this is the only Reafon they are to Blame for it. No Man is blame-worthy for Sin, any farther than he was under Obligations to the con- trary. All our Obligations to Virtue, according to themj, arife from its natural Tendency to make us happy. And therefore all the Evil of Sin muft arife from it's natural Tendency to make us miferable. This Mifery, therefore, is exadly equal to the Evil of Sin. For all the Evil of Sin arifes from it, or rather cor/ifts in it. This Mifery is all the Evil of Sin ; and this Mifery is therefore all that ren- ders Sin blame- worthy, i. e. I am to blame for taking a Courfe that tends to make me miferable. And why ? Mere- ly becaufe it tends to make me miferable. For that Rea- fon, and for no other. Therefore I am fo m.uch to Blame, and no more for what I do, than according to the Degree of it's Tendency to make mc miferable. This Mifery there- fore, which naturally refults from what I do, is equal to my E[lajjie. And is therefore the worft^ and all that I deferve, P 4 For 2i6 True Religmi delineated Dis. I. For no Crime deferves to be punifhcd,any farther than it is blame- worthy * And from the whole, to a Demonftration, it follows, that upon their Scheme,Sin deferves noinflidled Pain or Mifery, by Way of Puniihment ; over and above the r'ain or Mifery which refults neceflarily from its own Narure. And now if Sin does not deferve any fuch Punifh- ment,. then Juflice does not require the Governour of the World to inliufi: any fuch, upon any of his Creatures, the* ever fo finful. For Juilice does not require him to intiid a Punifhmcnc that is not at all deferved. Yea, rather it feem.s Cruelty fo to do. It therefore Juftice did not require it,why didGod drown the olSVorld and burn:d hefides mr, there is no ether I I will regard none, but juft to anfwcr my own Ends : And fa really and ftridly, regard none, but my i^\^. 'i ins is a Religion that will fuit Naiiire -, and in this Scr.lc nivy julll. l-c called natural P^-H-: and dijiinguijbed from all Counterfeits. 217 leaft 1 Where is his Juftice now ! Yea, Where is his Good- nefs ! Or what does he mean ! What does he intend ! Certainly, He cannot intend to deal fo feverely with fomc of his poor Creatures, who never deferved any 111 at his Hands, merely for the Good of others^ to fright and warn and deter them from Vice. For this would be to do Evil^ that Good might come : Yea, this would be the Way rather that Good might never come. For how could any of his Creatures or Subjeds, heartily lave him or like his Con- dudt, while they behold Millionsof their Fellow-Creatures fufFering, for nothing at all, fuch infinite Pains, under his Hands ! Where is his Juftice ? would they all cry : And where is his Goodnefs ? They would hate him, and flee from him, and dread a Government fo infinitely tyrannical. Indeed, to inflidt a proper Punifhment, in Cafe of juft Defert, is a good Thing, tends to maintain Government, and make Men afraid of Sin, and ftand in Awe of the great Lawgiver and Judge of the World. Yea, 'tis a beautiful Conduct, and tends to make God appear amiable in the Eyes of all holy Beings. Rev. 19. i, — 6. But to afflid and torment poor Creatures,* who do not at all de- ferve it, and that for ever, cannot poflibly anfwer any good End ♦, but, of NecefTity, muft promote a Thoufand bad ones, v/hen all the Time the true State of the Cafe is publickly known and underftood throughout all God's Dominions. It is juft as if a Father, who has tenChildren, fhould hang up Eve every Monday-Morning, and whip them almoft to Death, for nothing in the World, but to make the reft love him, and be good and obedient Chil- dren. And would they love him e'er the more -for this ? Yea, they could not but hate fo cruel aTyrant. Now,there- fore, if their Scheme be true, why did God drown the old Worlds and burn Sodom ? And why does he damn Sinners to all Eternity ? Yea, if Sin deferves no inflidted Punifhment, as upon their Scheme it does not ♦, why does God ever once inflidb the leaft,the very leaft Puniihment for it, in all hisDomini- pns ? And that, which tho' not in its own Nature more unaccountable, yet is more furprizing -, why has God, all along, from the beginning of the World, been inflidling fuch 2l8 True Religion delineated Dis.I. fuch a dreadful Train of Punifliments for Sin ? Why did God turn the Angels out of Heaven for their firft Sin, and doom them to an eternal Hell ? when they did not at all dcferve it. Why did God threaten Adam with Death in Cafe of Difobedience P Why is Death laid to be the Wa- ges of Sin ? Why did God caufe the Earth to open and iwallow up Korah and his Company ? Why did God caufe the Carcafes of fix Hundred Thoufand to fall in the Wil- dcrnefs ? Why did God ftrike Uzza dead ? And why a Thoufand more Things, which have happened in the Sight of the World ? Surely,it can't be for cur Goody to be ftruck dead and fent to Hell. And furely, it can't be for the Good of any in all God's World, that fhall fee or ever hear of it : when, all the while it is publickly known, that we deferve no 111 at God's Hands. No, not the leaft. And now after all, to torment us in Hell for ever, for nothing in the World, where the Fire jh all never he quenched^ and the Worm Jhall never die \ yea, and to appoint a Day of Judgment, under a Pretence of doing nothing but ftridt Juftice i and to fummon all Worlds together, to fee and hear, to the End that his Impartiality and Juftice might appear to all : When, all the while, he knows, and all the World knows, that his poor Creatures deferve no 111 at his Hands : No, not the leaft ! JVhat can he mean ? Yea, and that which is a great deal worfe than all, that I even fhudder to think of it ; he not only makes a Law, to punifti Sinners eternally in Hell, when there was noGrounds tor it, and puts it in Execution upon his poor Creatures who do not deferve it : But, having one only Son, of equal Glory with himfeif, he delivers him to Death, in the Room and Stead of Sinners -, pretending that Sin was fo bad a Thing, that without the jhedding of Blood there could he no Remijfion^ and therefore his own Son muft die, to the End he might be juft, while hejujlified the Sinner that fhould believe in him : While, all the Time, if their Scheme is true, he knew, and all the World will know, fooner or later, that Sin never deferved the leaft Puniftiment at his Hands ! To conclude, therefore. If God be what they fuppofe, I grant, the Scheme I have laid down is not right. And it is equally evident, that the Bible is not right neither. For the and dijiinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 219 the Law and the Gofpel^ the old Tefiament and the new^fvtrf where fuppofe, and take it for granted, that Sin is an in- finite Evil, deferves the Wrath and Curfe of God, all the Miferies of this Life, and Death it felf, and the Pains rf Hell for ever. The Law threatens all this. According to the Gofpel^ Chrift has died to redeem us from all this, as what we juftly deferve. The Bible therefore, in a Word, fuppofes we deferve it all •, but their Scheme fuppofes we do not. The God that made the Bible^ has no Doubt of it ; he made his Law upon this Ground, and upon this Foot he gave his Son to die, has appointed a Day of Judgment, and prepared a Place of Torment, a Lake of Fire and Brim- ftone : But their God is of quite another Mind, can fee no fuch infinite Evil in Sin ; yea, no Evil at all in it, but what refults from it's Tendency to make us miferable. Their God therefore, is not the God of Ifrael^ nor the God that made the Bible ; and therefore is no God^ is nothing but an Image framed in their own Fancy, fuited to their own Hearts. Befides,their Idea of God is contrary,not only thus to the general Tenour of Scripture, but alfo to many plain and exprefs Declarations, (r.) 'Tis manifeft,that God does not make the Happinefs of his Creatures his laji End, from Exod. 9. 16. Num. 14. 13. — 21. Lev. 10. 3. Pfal. 106. 8. Ezek. 20. throughout. Ezek. ^6, 21,22,23. and 38. 23. and 39. 6, 7, 13, 21, 22. Rom. 9. 22, 23. Rom. 11. 36. Rev. 4. II. — (2.) 'Tis manifeit, that God does not require his Creatures to love and obey him merely becaufe it tends to make them happy fo to do, from Exod. 20. 2. Lev. 19. 2. Pfal. 29. 2. and 96. 4, 8. and 148. 13. i Cor. 6. 20. (3.) 'Tis manifeft, that God does not threaten and punifh Sin merely becaufe it tends to make his Creatures miferable, from I Sam. 2. 29, 30. 2 Sam. 12. 7 — 14. Pfal. 51. 4. Mai. I. 6, 7, 8, 14. But to conclude. — How fad and dreadful a Thing will it be, for poor Sinners, when they come to die, and enter into the World of Spirits, there to find that the God they once loved and trufted in, was nothing but an Image framed in their own Fancy ! They hated the God of Ifraelj and hated his Law, and therefore would not believe that God or his Law were indeed what they were. They were refolved to have 2 20 True Religion delineated Dis. L have a God and a Law more to their Minds. How dread- ful will their Difappointment be ! How dreadful their furprife ! They would never own they were Enemies to God ; now they fee their Enmity was fo great, as to make them refolutely, notwithdanding the plaineft Evidence, even to deny him to be what he was. And how righteous will the Ways of the Lord appear to be, in that hegavefuch over to ftrong Delufions to believe a Eie, who did not love, and would not believe, the Truth ; but had Pleafure inUnrightecufnefs ? 2 T>^^/ 2.10,11, 12. So the Gentile Nations not liking to retain God in their Know- ledge, were given over to reprobate Minds, and left, every Nation, to make fuch a God, as beft plealed themfelves, Rom, I . But it is Time to proceed to the next life. Section VI. Rules of Trial, USE II. Which may be- of Examination. What has been faid may ferve to clear up to real Saints their gracious State, and may afford Matter of Convi«5lion to others. And here I would take the humble Believer in his Ele- ment, that is, in his Clofet, where he retires from theNoife and Bufinefs of the World, where he loves to be alone, to read the Bible, to meditate on the Perfedions of God, and think of his Works andWays, where he mourns and prays and loves God and gives up himfelf to him. — In a ferious Hour of fweet Retirement, when you are moft your f elf and your Thoughts moft about you, I would enquire. What are your Views ? And what is the inward Temper of your Mind ? And how do you live F And what is it that habitually influen- ces you in your daily Condu5l ? Do you know God ^ Do you fee him to be fuch a one as he really is ? Even fuch a one as the Scriptures reprefent him to be ? And do you account him infinitely glorious and amiable in being fuch a one ? And do you begin to love him with all your Heart ? Do you efteem him fo, as to exult in his Supremacy and abfolute Sovereignty ? And fo will his Glory and value his Honour and Intereft, as and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 221 as to give up your felf to live to him ? And fo delight in him, as to choofe him for your prefent and everlaftingPor- tion ? True, your remaining Biindnefs and Ignorance is very great : but do you not feel it, and groan under it as your Burden,and hate your felf for it as yourSin, lamenting the Sottiihnefs of your Heart, that you fhould be fo fenfe- lefs and brutifli, after {o many outward Advantages and in- ward Helps, and amidft fuch clear Manifeftations made of God and of his infinite Glory in his Word and in all his Works and Ways ; and feel that you are wholly to Blame for the Stupidity and Unteachablenefs of your Heart,ready to fay with him of old, So foclijh am I and ignorant^ I am as a Bea§f before thee ? Pfal. y^. 22. Your Difefteem of God, andUnconcernednefs about hisHonour and Intereft,is great, and you have ftill a Difpofition to hate to live upon God only, without any Thing elfe to takeComfort in, as thePor- tion of your Soul •, and fo you are inclined to forget God, to forfake him, to depart and go av/ay and fall inLove with fomething elfe, and feek another reiting Place, and fome- thing elfe to take Comfort in : But do you not feel this your remaining Want of Conformity to God's Law, and native Contrariety to it ? And do you not hate it, and hate your felf for it ? Do you not groan under it, and lament ir, and watch and pray and fight againft it, feeling the infinite Sinfulnefs of it ? Saying, The Law is hcl)\ juft and good ; hut I am carnal fold u?ider Sin :— 0 wretched Man that I am ! Rom. 7. 14, 24. And what are the Grounds of your Love to God, and from whatMotives is it that you are influenced to love him ? Does God indeed appear infinitely great,glorious, and ami- able in being what he is ? And do you love him becaufe he is juft fuch a one ? Do you love to m.editate his incompre- henfibly glorious Perfedtions, and wonder and adore ? Are you glad,that he knows allThings, and can do every Thing? Are the various Manifeftations of divine Wifdom, in the moral Government of the World, glorious in your Eyes ? Does it fuit your Heart, that God governs the World as he does ? Doyou love,that thePride of allFlelh fhould bebro't low, and the Lord a]cne be exalted ? Are you glad, that God lovesRighteoufnefs and hates iniquity as hs does ; and do 222 True Religion delineated Dis. I. do you heartily approve the Stridlnefs of his Law in the Matter of your Duty, and the Severity thereof againft the leaftSin ? And are you fwectly fenfible of the infiniteGood- nefs of God, and of his Truth and Faithfulnefs ? And does God appear infinitely Glorious bccaufe he is juit what he is ? And is this the primary Foundation of your Love ? In a Word, do you fee him as the great Creator, Preferver and Governour of the World, as the Redeemer, San6lifier and Saviour of hisPeople, as he has thus revealed himfelf by his Word and in his Works, and do you love him for being what he is ? And do you alfo feel the powerful Influence of thofe fuperadded Obligations you are under to love him ? In other Cafes, when we love any T hing, we know why we love it : So alfo do Believers know why they love theLord their God. And does it not appear to you infinitely reafonable^ that you Ihould love God with all your Heart, that you fhould be wholly his, and wholly for him, and make him your All, while you behold his infinite Glory, his compleat Alfuffi- ciency, his original, entire Right to you, and abfolute Au- thority over you ? And does not his Law in requiring you to do fo, appear to be infinitely right, perfedly holy, juil and good, worthy to (land in full Force for ever, unabated and unaltered ? Ahd do you not fee, that the leaftWant of Conformity to this Lav/, or TranfgrefTion of it, is infinitely Vile, and that a perfect Conformity thereto deferves no Thanks : And do you not feel your felf wholly to Blame for your not being altogether fuch as the Law requires ? Hypocrites are generally very ignorant of the Law, in it's true Meaning and Strictnefs •, and fo are ignorant of their Want of Conformity unto it, and of their inward Contrari- ety to it. Rom. 7. 8,9. Forotherwife all Hypocrites would know certainly that they have no Grace. But yet Hypo- crites, at leaft many of them, know fomething about the Law and their Want of Conformity to it, and fomething a- bout their inward Contrariety to it ; and hence may com- plain of the Blindnefs of their Minds, the Deadnefs of their Hearts, and of their Pride and Worldlinefs : But no Hy* pocrite is heartily fenfible that the Law is holy,iuft, & good in requiring Pertedion j and that he himfelt is entirely to Blame and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 223 Blame for not being perfedlly holy, and that the Fault is wholly his. Some will lay, " I defire to love God, and to " aim at hisGlory, and do myDuty : but no Man is, or can *' be perfed : And God does not require more of us than " we can do." And fo they think themfelve* excufable,and are not fenlible that it is infinitely vile in them not to love God with all their Hearts. Others will fay, " I can do '' Nothing of my feif : it is Chrift that muft do all. I defire " to love God i but I can't. It is the Spirit that muft " fill my Fleart with Love, and God is the fovereign Dif- " penfer of his Grace \ lb that if I am dead and dull and " fenfelefs and ftupid, I can't help it." And fo they alfo think themfelves excufable, and are not fenfible that it is infinitely vile in them not to love God with all theirHeart?. — But now, how flands the Cafe with you } Have you any fecrct Way of excufing your felf ? Or do you fee that the Law is holy juil and good, and that you only are to Blame, wholly to Blame, and Altogether without Excufe ; yea, and exceeding Vile, for all your Biindnefs and Deadnefs,and for every Thing wherein you are not jufi: what theLaw requires you to be ? 'Tis this which makes Believers fenfible of their Defert of Damnation, all their Lives long, and loath and abhor themfelves before the Lord. And 'tis this which caufes them more and more to fee their Need of Chrift and free Grace, and admire and prize the glorious Gofpel. O wretched Man that 1 am ! U^ho jhall deliver me ? -^ 1 thank God thro* Jefus Chrift our Lord. Rom. 7. 24, 25. And do you begin to be of a Difpofition really to love your Neighbour as your Self ? Be your AfFe6lions under the Government of a Spirit of difinterefted Lnpartiality, fo that you are dilpofed to value your feif only for thofe Pro- perties in you that are good and excellent, and only in Pro- portion to their Worth and Excellency ♦, and by this Rule to efteem your Neighbours, your Friends, and your Foes, and all Men ? And do you hate a contrary Difpofition in you ? And is your Heart full of Love and Kindnefs and Benevolence, wifhing well to all, fceking the Good of all, and even grieved when your Enemies are in Adverfity ? And to conclude. Does Love toGod and toyourNeigK- bour govern you in your Thoughts, Affections and Adions, and 2 24 True Religion delineated Dis. I. and daily influence you to live to God, and do Good in the World •, fo that now you are not your own, but given up to God to do his Will, feeking his Glory ? — A holy Lite does as naturally proceed from a holy lieart, as a Stream does from a living Fountain. Once you was Darknefs ; But are you now Light in the Lord ? Once,as to right fpiritualViews of God,yourNeigh' hour, or your felf, ot thisWorld or the next, you had none ; you was blind, your Underitanding was darkened \ and fo your Apprehenfions were wrong, and you loved your wrong Apprehenfions, & took Pleafure in Error, Falfhood and Sin, and hated the Light, hated Truth and Duty : once you was wholly devoid of the divine Image,and defti- tute of all Good ; yea, and you was wholly averfe to God, and full of all Evil. And did you ever fee and feel this to be your State } and have you by divine Grace been reco- vered out of it ? — Have you been effeclually taught, that your Light was Darknefs, and your Knowledge Ignorance, and been made fenfible of theBlindnefs of yourMind ? And have you learnt, that all your feeming Goodnefs wasCoun- terfeit ? and that in you did dwell no good Thing ? Yea, that your feeming Goodnefs was real Wickednei^, in that your Heart was in perfedl Contrariety to God and his Law ? Has divine Light fhined in your Heart, and your native Darknefs, as well as contra6led Blindnefs, been dif- pelied from your Soul \ fo that now your Views of God, of your Neighbour and your Self, of this World and the next, are right, and your Apprehenfions according to Truth, and has the Truth made you free ? Do you now look upon God, in fomeMeafure according to the Capacity of a Creature, as he docs upon himfelf, when he takes upon him the Character of mod high GOD, fupremc L-ORD, and fovereign GOVERNOLRof the whole World, and fays, / am the Lcrd^ that is my Name^ and befides me therf is no ether Gcd ? And do you fee it is infinitely fit that all the World fhould love, worlhip and adore him ? Do you now look upon your Neighbours, in fome Meafure as God does, when he commands you to love them as your felt j and fo fee that it is perfedlly right that you fhould ? And do you look upon your felf and every Ihing in thisWorld, in and diftinguijhed from all Counter f cits. 225 in fome Meafure as God does, when he commands you to deny your {t\\^ and tbrfakc all Things ibr his Sake ; and lee that it is moft ht and reafonable to die to your felf and to this World, and give up your felf to God, to love him and live to him, and delight in lum tor ever \ And do ycu iinderlland, that the Things which are ieen are temporal, and that the Things which are urifeen are eternal ? And do all poflible Troubles in the Ways of God, in lome Meafure, appear only as light Afflictions, which are but for a Moment, and not worthy to be compared with the Glory that ihall be revealed ? Do you thus know the Truth, and has the Truth made you free from your old Servitude •, and are you eP/eduaily influenced and govern- ed by thcfe Views and Apprehenfions, and this Senfe of Things, to bring forth Fruit to God, an hundred-fold, or fixty-fold,cr at lead thirty-fold ? For divineKnowledge is efficacious, and the holy and divine Effe6ls and Fruits arc always equal to the Degree of Knowledge •, (T Jch. 3. 6 J Ano. e-very Branch which Imngeth not fcrth Fruity is cut cff and caft into the Fire. Are you thus born again, and become a new Creature, and learnt to live a new and divine Life ? And is it not now^ mofl manifefl to you, that all this is fo far from having been the Frodudi: of Nature, that all that is in Nature, every natural Propenfity of the Heart, has from Hrft to laft been utterly againil the Change, and made aconilant andmightyRefifcance ? And do you not plainly perceive, that, from firil to laft, the Work has been begun and carried on by God himfelf ? And does it not appear to ycu, as the moft aftonifliing Goodnefs in God, and owing to nothing but his fovereign tree Grace, that you have thus been called out of Darknefs into marvellous Light, turned trom thePower of Sin & Satan to ferve the living God ? And do you not plainly fee, there is nothing but the fame infinite Goodnefs and free Grace to m.ove God to carry on and compleat this Work in ycvir Heart, and that fo, if ever you get to Heaven, the whole of your Salvation, from firft to laft, will be abfolutely and entirely to be attributed to free Grace? And have you not hence learnt to live upon free Grace thro' jefus Chrift for all Things ? Q^ And 226 Irue Religion delineated Dis. I, And do you not perceive,that he,who has begun, does ac- tually carry on the Work of Grace iny ourHearts ? And that all the external Difpenfations of Providence and internal Influences of the Spirit concur in their Operation, to hum- ble you and wean you from the World and imbitter Sin, to bring you nearer to God and to love him and to live to him and to live upon him, and to make you more ferious, morefpiritually-minded and heavenly-minded,more watch- ful and prayerful, and more loving and kind and tender- hearted and obliging to all Mankind, both Friends ani Foes •, and to make you daily attend upon the Duties of your particular Calling, and upon all the common Bufinefs of Life, as a Servant of God, in Singlencfs of Heart, doing Service to the Lord ? And altho' you was once dead in Sin and wholly without Strength, yet do you not now feel that you are fpiritually alive, and fo put into a Capacity for a fpiritual Activity, and that you are engaged to be active for God ? Not that your Sufficiency is of your felf as once you thought it was : For you are not fufficient of y cur felf^ as cf your feif\ hut ycur Sufficiency is of God. Yet do you not find that thro'' Chrift Jtrengthning ofyou^ you can do all Things ? And do you not from the Heart hate the W^ay of lazy, dead-hearted Hy- pocrites, who fit ftill and carelefly cry, " We can do no- ** thing, 'tis Chrift that muil do all," and under a Notion (^f not doing any Thing in their own Strength, gratify their Lazinefs, and do nothing at alll ! AccurfedLazinefs ! Ac- curfed Hypocrify 1 Do you not feel, I fay, that you are put into a Capacity for fpiritual Activity ? And are you not engaged to be adlive for God ? For you are his IVork^ manjhip ^created in Chrifljefus wito goodlForkSyXhdX you might walk in them. While the Spirit of God is taking down the Power of Sin in your Pleart, and flaying your Cor- ruptions 'j are you net aifo crucifying the Flefh with the Af- fections and Lufts ? While God is loorking in you to will and to do, are you not working out ycur Salvation with fear and trembling, with filial Fear aiid holy Concern ? While the Spirit cf God gives you Ivligbt in the inner Man, do not you put on the whole Armour of God, and fight with Flefh and Bhidy with Principalures and Powers ? This is the Way of Believers. and diflingutjhed from all Counterfeits 2 27 Believers. And the Spirit does not come upon them- by Fits, as it did upon Balaam \ but dwells in them and abides in them ior ever ; to purify them from all Iniquity^ and make them a peculiar Pecple^ zealous of good l^Fcj-ks, Finally, Do you not experience that your Religion is Ibmething real and perceptible^ and fee that it is fpccifitally different irom any Thing that poffibly can ariie merely from a Principle of Self-love ? You perceive your Views of God, and Senfe of his Greatncfs, Glory and Beauty •, and you perceive your Senfe of the World's Emptinels,and or your own natural Vilenefs and Wretchednefs ; and your Love to God, your Weanednefs from the World, and your Mourning for Sin are perceptible. And is it not eafy to perceive w^hy you love God, are weaned from the Worlds and mourn for Sin ♦, namely, becaufe God is infinitely lovely, the World empty and worthlefs, and Sin the greatefl Evil ^. And while thefe Views and AfFedions eifeclually influence you to all holy living, their Genuinenefs is made ftili more evident and plain. And, from the whole, you arife to a rational and fcriptural Knowledge of your gra-- cbus State. From what has been faid upon this Subjed, a great Va* riety of other Queftions might be put to the Believer \ but the whole has been treated fo plainly and pradtically, that I need add no more. And if gracelefs Perfons, had it in their Hearts to be honeft and impartial, they might eafily know, that they are Strangers to real Religion. But it they have not the Thing itfelf, they will either work up fomcthing like itj or elfe deny that there is any fuchThing : for he that doth Evil^hateth the Light ; and fodoes he who has a rotten Heart. And hence fome cry, " The ht'ik have *' their Failings" •, and they watch and catch at the Fail- ings of fuch as are accounted godly, and dwell upon them; and magnify them •, and fo quiet their Confciences, and go on in their Sins. Others cry, " The befl are dead Ibme- times" s and fo maintain their Hopes, altho' they lie dead,' whole Months and Years together, and live in Sin, and never come to found Repentance. Cthtrs cry, " You will difcourage weak Chriftians ; " meaning themfelves. Juft as if there were a Sort of Chriiliaas that cannot bt;ar CL2 the 228 True Religion delineated D i s . I . the Light, nor (land a fcriptural Trial. What will they do, when they come before the awful Bar of the Heart- fearching God ! Others cry, " But every Chriftian docs not experience alike •/* and fo tho* they are deflitute of the very EfTence and Life of Religion, yet they hope all is well. And many are confident that thefeThings arc not fo, " for, fay they, If thefeThings are true, who then fhall be faved ? " I anfwer, Strait is the Gate^ and 7mrrcw is the Way that leads to Life ; and few there he that find it : hut wide is the Gate, and broad is the Way that leads to DeHru^ficn, and many go in thereat. Mat. 7. 13, 14. And mark what fol- lows in the next Verfe, f. 15. Beware of falfe Prophets, which come to you in Sheeps-cloathing, but inwardly are ra- 'vening Wolves, f. 16. Te floall know them by their Fruit s.^^ By what Fruits } Why, this is the conftant Chara6ler of falfeProphets throughout the Bible, that they cry. Peace and Safety., and heal the Wound of poor Sinners flightily, and daub with untempered Mortar, i. e. They make Religion to be an eafier Thing than it is, more agreeable to corrupt Na- ture ; and fo encourage Sinners to reft in fomething fhort of true Grace. So the Pharifees did, notwithftanding all their pretended Striclnefs ; and fo the Arminians do, not- withftanding all their feeming Zeal for good Works •, and fo the Antinomians do, notv/ithftanding all their Pretences to extraordinary Light and Joy and Zeal and Purity and Holinefs. And this is the common Charader of all falfe Prophets and falfe Teachers and Hereticks, that, being Enemies to true Religion, they cut out a falfe Scheme in their Heads, to fuit their own Hearts -, and fo, however greatly they may differ in many Things, yet herein all agree, to make Religion an eafier Thing than the Bible does, and to make the Gate wider and the Way broader than Chrift and his Apoftles ; and by this Mark the diffe- rence between them and the true Prophets may always be certainly known. And thcretcre Chrift having juft faid. Strait is theGate and yiarrow the Way 'Sec. immediately adds. Beware of falfe Prophets, by their Fruits ye fcall know them ^ for they all invent fome e^fier V/ay to Heaven, tho' it may be in Sheeps cleat hing, i. e. under a Sh*— *»op* and dijiinguifhed from all Counterfeits. 237 of Sin, &c. This is the Door, by which if any Man enters in, he will foon become an Antinomian and an Enthufiaft, But to proceed. USE IV. Of Thankfuhtefs. While the Law (hews us what we be, it does at the fame Time make us fenfible what we deferve ; while it difcovers to us our Sinfulnefs, it makes usfeelourUnworthinefs of anyGood,arid Defert of all Evil : and while we feel our Unworthinefs and ill Defcrts, our Afflidions appear far lefs than we deferve, and our Mercies appear more in Num.ber than the Sands, and the Kindnefs and Bounty of our God appears exceeding great, and we wonder at his Goodnefs and blefs his holy Name. And thus the Law is of Ufe to promote Thankfulnefs. God the great Governour of the World, in Teflimony of his high Difpleafure againft Mankind for their Apoftacy from him, has fpread Miferies and Calamities all round the Earth : from the King upon the Throne, to the Beggar on the Dunghil, there is not one, but has a greater or lefTer Share in the Troubles of Life \ and many have their Days filled up with Sorrows. And now Murmurings arife all roundthis guilty World,and the general Cry is, " No Body " meets with fuch Troubles as I do, I am very hardly dealt with." But theLav/ teaches us,that God is holy in all thefe his Ways, and righteous in all thefe his Works •, and that we are all puniflied far lefs than we deferve ; and fo our Complaints are rilenced,and ourHearts quieted into a hum- ble Submiffion, and it appears infinitely fit, a rebellious World ihouid be full of Wo, that we might learn that it is an evil and bitter Thing to forfake the Lord. But at the fame Time, God the great Lord of all, out of his boundlefs Goodnefs thro' Jefus Chrift, reprievesMan- kind from the threatmd Ruin, ftrews common Mercies with a liberal Hand all round the Earth, fends Rain and fruit- ful Seafons, and fills the Hearts of all, more or lefs, with Food and Gladnefs ; and to fome he grants his fpecial Gr.ice, makes them his Children, and intitles them to eter- nal Life. And thus he is the Sazioiir of all Men^ but efpe- daily of thofe that believe, i Tim. 4. lo. Yet this Goodnefs of God is but little taken Notice of in the World. But the Law, while it difcovers what we be, and how unworthy and Hell- 238 True Religion delineated Dis. L Hey-deferving we are, makes us fenfibie of the Freenefs and Riches ot Gcd's Grace in thele his Kindnelles. For while we feel that Hell is our proper Due, everything that senders our CaC: better than that of the Damned, we fhall accept as a choice Mercy,and as an £hec:t of freeGrace ♦, and fo inftead of being always in a iFiUrmuring and repining Difpofition, we fnail be always wondering at theGoodnefs, admiring at the Kindnefs of the Lord j faying with good Jacobs We are not is: or thy oftheleaft of all the Mercies^ am of all the Truths "j^hich thou hafi fheived unto thy Servants. Gen. 32. 10. And with the J^-;^//^ Church, O give 'Thanks unto the Lord, for he is Good, for his Me) cy endurethfor ever. Pfal. 136. And we fliall alv/ays find, that the more fenfi- bie we be of our Unworthinefs and ill Defert, the more Caufe we fhall fee for Thankfulnefs, let our outward Cir- cumflances in this Life be what they will. But, USE V. In the lafl Place, Let all that has been faid be improved by Way of Exhortation, to excite and engage the Eeople of God, mere and more to renounce ihemfelves, thelVorld end Sin, and give up themfelves to God, to love him and live to him and delight in him with all their Hearts for ever. You have feen what Grounds you have to do fo, arifing from God's infinite Greatnefs, Glory and Excellency *, and you have been viewing your fuperadded Obligations : And is the Lord fuch a God, and is he your God and Redeemer, O how flrongly are you bound to keep all his Command- ments ! And what is it, O Believer, that the Lord thy God requireth of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his Ways, and to love him, and to ferve die Lord thy God with all thy Fleart and with all thySoul ? And is there not in keeping his Commands a great Reward ? Did you ever Tafle fuch Sweetnefs, as in a Life of Devotednefs to God ! And have not your Wandrings from him colt you many a bitter and mournful Hour ? O, how happy would you be, if once you could come to it, to have done with every Thing elfe and to be wholly the Lord's ! Serioudy confider thefe Things -, 1 . That you can come to it, to have done with every Thing clfe^ and he wholly ths Lord'S:, at leafl in a vaflly greater De- gree and dijlinguijhedfrofn all Counterfeits. 239 grte^thm ever yet you have. Sec ThiL 3. 13, 14. You aftually already have God working in you to will and to do, PM,2. 1 3. He has always been, as it were, labouring to humble you, and wean you from the World, and bring you neater to himfelf, to love him, live to him, and delight in him, ^vcr fince the Day you firft came to know him, by the outward Difpenfations of his Providence, and by the inward Striv- ings of his Spirit. He has always been purging you, thai you might bring forth more Fruit. J oh. 15. 2. Yea, this was the very Defign of Chrift's coming into the World, that he vtight deliver you out of the Hands of all your Enemies, and bring you to ferveGod, without Fear, in Holinefs andRighte- oufnefs, all the Days of your Life. Luk. i. 74. And that he might redeem you from- all Iniquity, and pu^rify you to himfelf y that you might he peculiarly his^ and zealous of good JVorks^ Tit. 2. 14. And for this End, God has already taken, as k were, infinite Pains v/ith you, and this is what he is conti* jiually urging you unto, and he declares that he is readier to give you his holy Spirit, than earthly Parents are to give Bread to their Children, and invites and encourages and commands you to ajlz. Matt. 7. 7. &c. And will you not now therefore arife and put on the whole Armour of God, and make your flrongeft Efforts to recover from Sin to God ? , God the great King of Heaven and Earth commands you to do fo ', Jefus the kind Mediator invites you to do fo ; and the holy Spirit the SandliRer is ready to help you. Arife therefore, and be of good Courage, for the Lord is with you. Did you ever ftir up your felf to feek after God in vain, or fet about a Life of greater Serioufnefs, Watch- fulnefs and Prayer, and find no Advantage by it ? Or have you not always faid in the Conciufion, that it is good for tue to draw near to Gcd ; (Pfal. 73. 28.) And condemned and hated your felf for your former Slacknefs, and been ready to refolve from your in moft Soul, that you would call upon the Lord as long as you live ? Pfal. 116,2. And let me put it to your Confcience, do not you be- lieve, that if now you would gird up the Loyns of your Mind, and quit your felf like a Man, and he ftrong, that thro' Chriff Jirengihning of you, you may do all Things ? And Hiali 2 4o\ True Religion deli/ieated Di s . I. fhall tarelefnefs or Stupidity, fiiall Lazincfs & Sloth, l>iall the Allurements or the DilcouraQcments of the \\ orld or the Devil, now after all, hinder you ? \\ hat ! When you have been redeemed, not li'Uh Siher avd Qcld^ hut ivuh the pre:ious B^cod of the Son of Ggd, when your rrifcn-Door is flung open, and your Chains knocked oif, and you called and invited to come out into the glcrious Liberty of theChtl- dren cf Gcd, and when God is actually ftriving with you already, and ftands ready to afford you faither Help, what now be hindered ! What ! And be hindered byCareiefnefs, Unwatchfulnefs, &c ! What, Ihall the Saviour groan in the Garden, and die on the Crofs, and yet you lie deeping here ! What, aflecp ! Wliat, content without God in the World ! What, when the wholeArmy ot Prophets, Apoftles and Martyrs have faded and prayed all their Days, and waded thro' a Sea of Bleed at lall ! Mcthinks, you had better abandon every mortal Delight, lay afuie every Weight and the Sin that more eafily hefets ycu^ and mourn and weep, and watch and pray, and fight and ftrive, as long as you live, rhan a6l fo far beneath the Dignity and Character of a Chriftian. It is but a few in the World, that truly know God and the W^ay of Accefs to him thro' Jefus Chrift, and are in a (fpirituay Capacity to live a Life of Devotednefs to God and Communion with him : moft Men are dead in Sin, But you hath he quickened, and you are his F/orkmanfkip, created in Chrift Jefus unto good Works \ and it is God's De- fign you fhould walk in them : you that were without Chrift and without God in the W orld, afar off, are now brought nigh j and you are no more Strangers and Fo- reigners, but Fellow-Citizens with the Saints and cf the Houfhold of God : for this Caufe I therefore befeech you, walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith ycu are called. See this Argument enlarged upon in the 2d, 3d & 4th Chapters of the Epiftle to the Ephejians, and your Duties, flill more particularly delineated in the 5th & 6th. 2. Confider, That as your Cafe is circuwftanccd, it is ah- folutely impcffble for you ever to find ary other refiing Place hutGcd, or ever take any fati fying Comfort of y cur Life,but in n Way of Devotednefs to God l^ Communion wtth him. The Cafe nnd difiinguijhed fro7n all Co7interfeits. 241 Cafe is not with you, O Believer, as it is with other Men. Tou only have I kncu n cf all thcFamilies cf theEarth\ iherejae ivill I punijh ycu for ally our Iniquities^ laidGod to his ancient People. Mic. 3. 2. Butthe otherNations of theEarth might worlhip Idols and ferve Wood and Stone, and go on and prorpcr,withoi]t being called to a prefent Account. And fo it is as to particuiarPeribns. Baftards, who have no Parents to own them and bring them up, may, as for any Refhrain's Irom parental Authonty,do what they will. They that don^t belong to God's Family, may live trom Home as long as they pleafe, and becaufc they have no Interett in hisHoufe, may, in Refpeft of divine Per million, go and live where they pleafe, may continue to he out from God : But whom the Lord bveth^ he chaftneth ; and fcourgeth every Son whom he receiveth. Heb. 12. 6. Flypocrites may lofe their Religi- on, and lie dead whole Months and Years together, and re- turn with the Dog to his Vomit, and take as much Com- fort in the World and their Luils as ever : But it is im- pofTible that you fhould : You can never get your Confci- ei>ce afleep as other Men's are, or your Heart content to lie out from God, or wring your feif out of your Father's Hand, or get out of the Reach of his Rod. Solomon once feenr/d refolved to find another refting Place for his Heart befides God, and fomething elfe to takeCom- fort in, and he was under the befl outward Advantages to make a thoro' Trial, that ever Man was ; but he never did, and never could : But was always like a Bone out of Joint, or like the Needle of a Compafs turned afide from its bc- lovedStar. Vanity cf Vanities., fays thePreachcr, all isVanity and Vexation of Spirit, And poor David ^how was he pain- ed with Anguifh of Spirit, for theSin whereby he provoked the Lord ? Plal. 32.3, &c. fVhile I kept Silence ( i. e. be- fore Nathan came, who brought me to an openConfcflions fee :j^. 5.) my Bones waxed old\ thro' my roaring all the Day long. For Day and Night thy Hand was heavy upon me : My Moiflure is turned into the Drought of Sum?ncr. And never did a Believer depart from God to feek another reft- ing Place, or go away from the Fountain of living Waters, to get fomething elfe to take Comfort in -, but God hedged up his Way with Thorns^ and mad^ a Wall that he could not R find 242 True Religion delineated Dis. L find his "Paths : So that altho' he followed after his LoverSy he never overtook them, and tho' he fought them, he never found them : But at laft has been conllraincd to fay, I will go and return to my firft Hujhand ; for then ivas it better with me than now. Hof. 2. 6, 7. His Backflidings have reproved him^znd his JVtckednefs has corrected i?i;;/,and made him kncw^ to the breaking of hisHeart, that it is an evil a7idhitter1hing to forfake the Lord. Jer. 2. 19. For as God thus dealt with the Jewifh Church of old, fo he does with every BeUever ; for all God's Dealings with them were for Enfamples : And they are written for our Admonition, upon whom the Ends of the World are come, i Cor 10. 11. And this now being the Cafe, O Believer, and you hav- ing always by your own Experience found it fo, v/ill you notwithftanding forfake the Lord ? What Fault, What Ini- quity do you find in God, that you lliould forfake him ? Has he been a Wildernefs unto you, or a Land of Darknefs ? Or has he not been your Father, ever fince the Day he took you by the Hand to lead you, even ever fincc the Day you firft knew him ? Or be you weary of Lightfome, of fweet and happy Days, and impatient to plunge your felf into Darknefs, Diftrefs and Anguifh ? May you not cxped, if you forfake him and go away from him, to feek another refling Place, and fomething elle to take Comfort in as your Portion, that he will firip you naked as in the Day that you was horn, and make you defolate, and a Terror to your felf, and that his Anger will fmoke againft you, and his Hand lie heavy upon you ? And then will you mourn like theDove in the Valley, and he troubled, a?idgo bowed dczvn greatly, and Tore by Reafon of the Difquietnefs of your Heart, and wifh. a Thoufand and Thoufand Times that you had never for- fakenthe Lord. Read Pfal. 38. Jer. 2d. and 3d Chapters. and Hof 2. Will you not therefore bid Adieu to all other Lords and Levers, and cleave unto the Lord with all your Heart for ever ? tor this is your Wifdom, and this is your Life. Which brings me to add, 3. Confider, If you will have done with everyThing 'elfe, and give up your felf to the Lord, to ic\Q him and live to him and>5e v/holly his, then God will be your God fenfibly, and you ziHl, z>; fpiritml Refpecfs^ be one of the happieft Creatures '" • in and dijlinguifhed from all Counterfeits. 243 in this PForld \ a hundred Times happier than you could poffibly be in the Ways of Sin ♦, you poall have an Hundred Fold in this prefent Wcrld^ befides eternal Life in the World to come. If any Man love me^ fays Chriil, and keep my Com- mandments J will love him and manifejl my f elf unto him: And / and my Father will come and make our Abode with him, Joh. 14. 21, 23. He that dzveHeth in the fecret Place of the mcft High ^f hall abide under the Shadow of the Almighty. Pfal. 91.1. And God will be your Dwelling-Place for ever. Pfal. 90. i'^ While the Nations daih thenifelves in Pieces, and all the World is in Confufion, and while you pafs thro' the Fire and thro', the Water, God will be with you •, and he will always beyoiirLight,Life,Peace5joy,Glory &Bleirednefs, in this undone,dreadrul World -, & yourH^art will be firm and fixed \\k.t Mount Zioji^ that cannot heremoved^but abideth for ■tver \ & nothing fhall tvcx feparate you from theLove. ofGou^ neither likings prefent^ yior things to come^ nor Heigth^ nor Depths nor Life^ nor Deaths nor any other Thing. AndGod will certainly give you every Thing in this World that is bell for you and moil for his Glory,and you will not defire any more i and all the evil Things, you may pafs thro', will fcnfibly work together for your Good. Matt. 6. ^^, Rom^ 8. 28, — Q,^. Pfal y^. 25, 26. And thus, you have, by Experience, always found, that God has dealt with you. I appeal, O Believer, to your own Confcience, that thus it has always been, whenever you have fenfibly from the Heart renounced all other Things, and given up your feii to the Lord, to love him and to live to him and to take Content in him, God has fenfibly been a God and Father and Portion unto you, and has given you all Things, which (every Thing confidered) you could de- fire, and fenfibly made all Things work together for your Good •, whence you have been many a Time ready to fay, 'That not a Word of all his Promifes has ever fallen to the Ground. And you have adlually enjoyed a hundred Times m.oreComfort in the Service of God, in Devotednefs toGod and Communion with him, than could have been had in the Sei-vice of Sin, And will you not now therefore be intirely and for ever the Lord's ? O how happy you might be ! And what blelTed Days you might enjoy I R 2 4. And :244 True Religion delineated Dis. I. , 4. And that which can't but touch a fihal Heart, con- fider, That if you will thus be wholly theLord's,to love him and live to him and delight in him and to do his Will, God will he glorified thereby^ it will he to his Honour in the World. Joh. 15. 8. Herein is my Father glorified^ that ye hear muchFruit, — But ye are a chofenGeneration^a royal Priejlhood^ a holy Nation^ a peculiar People •, that ye Jhoiild ftoew forth the Praifes of him^ who hath called you out of Darknefs into his marvellous Light, i Pet. 2.9. God has but a few Friends in the World. Many that pretend to be his Friends, are a great difhonour to him and difgrace to Religion. By their Means his Name is blafphemed, and his Ways are evilly fpoken of. And in general, his Honour is every where trodden down in the Duft. And can you (land by uncon- cerned ? Yea, can you look on without your Heart bleeding within you ? O therefore, be ferious, be humble, be meek, holy and heavenly, be Peace- makers and merciful, be kind and tender-heartedjCondefcending and obliging, and abound in every good Work ; for you are the Salt of the Earthy and the Light of the World : O therefore live fo, as that your Father ^which is in Heaven^^may he glorified. Mat. 5.13 — 16. To conclude, Will you not now therefore determine,from this Day forward, to be wholly the Lord's, and from this Day begin to live to God in better earneft than ever ? God is ready to help you. You will, as to prefent Comfort, be undone, if you do not live to God j and Peace and Glory and Bleflednefs is before you, if you do •, and God, even - ,your God, will be glorified. And if you are now ready, by the Grace of God, to hearken unto this Advice, then take thcfe two Diredlions. I . Lay afide every Weight., and the Sins which more eajily tefet you. Heb. 12. i. In a ferious and fweet Hour, when '*yoLi get alone and mourn and pray and give up your felf to ■' God, and think and refolve you will now be for ever the Lord's, you are wont, uponSelf-Examination and a Review ^ ;^*Qf paft Times, to fee and fay, " This, that, and the other ^-v^^*' Thing, has been the finful Occafion, Time after Time, ')^^\ of my lofing a ferious gracious Frame of Heart, and by Kn.** fuch and fuch finful Means I have gradually loft a Senfe *« of divine and etcrnalThiiigs, and fo hav€ wandered from " God ^ and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 2 45 *' God, and iaid a Foundation for Darknefs and Sorrow. " O my Carelelhefs ! O that I had prayed more in fecret ! " O that 1 had Ipent precious Time better, ^c. ^^ ." Thefe now are the Weights, and thefe the Sins, which eafily befet you, and thefe you muft lay afide for ever, if you defign to be the Lord's indeed, and to make a Bufmefs of ReUgion to Purpofe. But perhaps you will fay, " My worldly Bu- " finefs, my neceflary Cares, and the common Duties of *' Life, are fometimes the very Things, and thefe I ought " not to lay afide, and what fhall 1 do in this Cafe ?" 1 anfwer^ That at another Time, the neceiraryCares,Bufmefs and Duties of Life, you find to be no Hindrances at all ; even at fuch Times when you do all out of Love to God and for God,with Singlenefs of Heart. If you will there- fore but always go about the common Duties of Life in fuch a Manner, they will never be any Clog to you. What you have therefore to do in the Cafe, is not to lay afide that which is your Duty, but to lay afide your wrong Ends and Aims. And thus you mufl lay afide every Weight. — But, 2. If you defign to be religious in good earned, then be careful to ufe all proper Means ^ and do every proper Tbing^ that has a tendency to promote your fpiritual Life. Every proper Thing I fay, to guard againft thofe anti-fcriptural Methods which Enthufiafts are wont to take, and by which, above allThings, their falfeAfFedions are promoted, but which have a dired Tendency to kill the divine Life. In a ferious Hour of fweet Retirement, and in happy Days when you are neareft to God, and enjoy moft Communion with him, and have your Senfes moil accurate to difcern between Good and Evil, you arc wont to fee and fay, '' O how bleffed I might be, if I did always keep in this " narrow Way, which now lies open plain before me ; if I " were always ferious, watchful, prayerful, always reading, " or meditating,andlooking to God,and keeping myHeart, " and improving every precious Moment of my Time wife- " ly for God," ^c. Well, well, O Believer,this is the W' ay, walk in it \ and you fhall he like a 'Tree planted by iheRivers cf Water ^ that bringeth forth his Fruit in his Seafon^ whofe Leaf never withers^ and whatfoever you do floall profper. And after a few more Days and Weeks and Months and R Yeais 246 True Religion delineated Dis. I. Years fpent in Prayer and Faith and Holinefs, in this your Pilgrimage-State, you fhall come and fit down with Abraham^ Ifaac and Jacob, in the Kingdom of God, and dwell ior ever with the Lord. Amen. New the God of Pecue^ that brought again from the Bead cur Lord Jefus^ that great Shepherd of the Sheep, thro^ the Blood of the everlafting Covenant^ 711 ake you perfe^ in every good H'^orky to do his fVill, working in ycu that which is well pleafing in his Sight., thro" Jefus Chrijl : to whom be glory for ever and ever, AMEN. ^;,^^^^t:^J^-fM^ True ( 247 ) ^^ijji iFj ^ <)K» t¥j t)i(» i^ i)j^ <)i^ »)i^ ^rtie Religion delineated. DISCOURSE IL Shewing the Nature of the Gospel, and of a genuine Compliance with it. J OH. III. i6. For GOD fo loved the Worlds that he gave his only begotten Son^ that whofoever be- lieveth in him^ fhould not perijh^ but have everlajiing Life. The Introduction. ^|^?!;^ill^HE grand Queftion before us,is, V/bat is true ?i§!i^^^ Religion ? And this is the general Aniwer, T |^|!j§ // confifls in a real Conformity to the Law^ afid ]§^^ in a genuine Compliance "joith theGofpel. What l^i§ is implied in a real Conformity to the La-w^ has been already fhewn in the former Dif- courfe : and we come now to confider wherein a genuine Compliance with the Gofpel does confifl. From our Savi- our's Mouth we had before a brief Summary of the Law ; and now from our Saviour's Mouth we have a brief Sum- mary of the Gofpel, in thefe comprehenfive Words, Godfo loved the Worlds &c, ' ' ~' ' " R4 I^icodmus 248 True Religion delineated ' Dis. L ;* Nicodemus came to him for Inftfu6tion, believing him to ^Jdc a Teacher lent from God. Our Saviour begins imme- ^iliateiy to inculcate upon him, the Neceflity of Regenera- riion and Faith. We are Sinners, are naturally dead in Sin ; v^nd therefore mufl be born again, be recovered to the di- ..vine Image in .the Temper of our Minds, and fo be made ; fpiritually alive. We are guilty, we need pardoningMercy a: the Hands ot the great Governour of the World ; but he will grant it only thro' the Mediator he has appointed : Jn him therefore mud we believe, onhisMerits and Media- ^tion mull we depend. Nicodemus could hardJy under- ^,iland the Do6trine of the new Birth j and our Saviour inti- ; mates that the Myfteries of our Redemption by the Blood • of Chrilt, were like to be ilill more difficult to him. We can eafily underfland worldlyThings, for they are agreeable to the Temper of our Minds, and fuit the Guft and Relifh of our Hearts : but we are blind to Things fpiritual and divine, are flow of Heart to underftand them, they not fuiting the Temper and Relilh of our Hearts, and we be- ing in a Difpofition to difrelifh Things of fuch a Nature. Therefore our Saviour obferves to Nicodemus^ ver. 19. ^his is the Condemnation^ that Light is come into the World, kit Men love Darknefs rather than Light, becaufe their Deeds are E"jil. We are in a State of Rebellion, at Enmity againft God, and under his Wrath \ and yet ready thro* our Dark- nefs to flatter our feives that all is well ; and fo are fecure and atEafe : Light is come into the World, difcovering our Difeafe and our Pvcmedy, but we love our Difeale, & loath the Remedy j and therefore hate the Light and will not come to it. And thus our Saviour tt^LchtsNicodemus where- in true Religion confiflis, and p>oints out the Averflon of Mankind unto it. Nor is there any Thing that will difco- ver our Averflon fo plainly, as to let true Religion in it's own Light -, for when we fee clearly what it is, we may perceive hnw we fl:and affe6ted towards it : but otherwifc \vc may be eafily mifl;aken •, may imagine that we love true Rt'ligion, when indeed we only love the faUe Image wc have framed in our own Fancy. — Regeneration} and Faith, thcfe two great EiTentials, wherein all Religion radically i^^»qI:-^^ :^re ihc Things cu' Sayiour incukaces upon his new and dijlin^uijhed from alt Counterfeits. 249 new Difciple. Chrift loved to lay the Foundation well. He was not fond of Converts, unlefs their Convcrfion was found. And indeed, all our Religion is good for nothing, if our Nature be not renewed •, and all our Communion with God is but Fancy, if we are Strangers to Chrift •, for he is the IVay^ the Truth mi the Life^ and no Man comes to the Father but by him. But to proceed to the Words of the Text, God fo loved the Worlds dec. QQj) — i.e. God the Father, the firft Perfon in the ever- bleffed Trinity, who faftains the Dignity and Majefty of God-head, and is eminently Lord of Heaven and Earth, {Mat. 11.25.; and prime Agent in the Works of Creation and Providence, in governing the World, in redeeming, fandifying and laving of Sinners. Rom, 1 1.36. — That there are three Perfons in the God-head, the Father, the Son,and theHoly Ghoft, and that thefe Three are one God,theScrip- tures do abundantly teach. {Mat. 28. 19. 2 Cor. 13. 13. I Joh. ^.y.) And this Dodrine v/e muft believe, or we cannot underftand the Gofpel. How they are T'ijr^^jand how they are One., is not revealed, nor is it neccflary for us to know : but that there are three Perfons in the God- head and yet but one God, we muft believe \ and what Charadiers they fuftain, and what Parts they ad in the Affair of our Salvation, we muft underftand. — The Gofpel reprefents God the Father, as fovereign Lord of Heaven and Earth, as righteous Governour of the World, as giving Laws to his Creatures, as revealing his Wrath a- gainft all TranfgreiTions : He is reprefented as being in- jured and offended by our Sins, and concerned to maintain the Honour of his Majefty, of his Law and Government and facred Authority : He is reprefented as having Defigns of Mercy towards a finful, guilty, ruined World •, and as contriving and propofmg a Method of Recovery : He is reprefented as one feated on a Throne of Grace, reconcila- ble thro' Jefus Chrift, and feeking to reconcile the World to himfelf by Chrift, ordering Pardon and Peace to be pro- claimed thro* a guilty World to any and all who will return to him in the Way prefcribed. — The Gofpel reprefents God the Son, as being conftituted Mediator by his Father,that in and by him he might open a Way to accomplifh his Des -. -i fign- 250 True Religion delineated Dis. II. figns of Mercy towards a guilty World, confiftent with the Honour of his Majefty, of his Holinefsand Juflice, of his Law and Government. His Father appointed him to the Office, and he freely undertook it. His Father fent him into this World to enter uponr the difficult Work, and he willingly came. He was made Flejh^ and dwelt among us. Here he lived, and here he died, in the Capacity of a Me- diator. He arofe, he afcended into Heaven, and fits now at his Father's right Hand, God-Man Mediator, exalted to the higheft Honour, made Lord of all Things, and Judge of the World. And now we are to have Accefs to God by him, as our Mediator, high Priell, IntercefTor and Advocate, who has m.ade compleat Atonement for Sins in thz Days of his Abafement, and has now fufficient Intereft in the Court of Heaven. The Gofpel reprefents God the Holy Ghoft^ as being fent of the Father as prime Agent, and by the Son as Mediator, in the Character of an En- lightner & Sandlifier: in order to bring Sinners effedlualiy to fee and be fenfible of their Sin, Guilt, and Ruin, to be- lieve the Gofpel, to truflin Chrift, and to return home to God thro' him. And it is his OffiA to dwell in Believers, to teach and lead them, to fan6lify,'quicken,ftrengthen and comfort them-,& to keep them thro' Faith untoSalvation. — The Father is God by Nature, and God by Office : the Son is God by Nature5and Mediator by Office. The Spirit is God by Nature, and Sandtifier by Office. The Father^ as Governour, Lawgiver, Judge and Avenger,has allPower in Heaven and Earth, in and of himfelf. Matth. 11. 25. The Scn^ as Mediator, derives all his Authority from the Father. Matth. 11. 27. The Holy Spirit a6ts as being fent by them both, by the Father as fuprcme Governour dealing with a finful, guilty World thro' a Mediator \ by the Son as Mediator negociating a Reconciliation betweenGod &Man. Joh. 14. 16. — The Father maintains the Honour of the God-head, and of his Government, and difplays his Grace, while he ordains that Sin fhall be punifhed, the Sinner humbled, and brought back to God, and into a Subjedtion to his Will, and in that Way be pardoned & finally faved. Sin is punifhed in the Son as Mediator, Handing in the Room of the Guilty. And the Sinner is humbled, bro't back and diflinguipoed from all Counterfeits. 251 back to God, and into a Subjedion to his Will, by the Hok Spirit •, and in this Way is pardoned and faved. And thus the Son and the Spirit honour the Father as fupreme Governour, and all join in the fame Defign to difcounte- fiance Sin, humble the Sinner, and glorify Grace. Thus far briefly of the Dodlrinc of the Trinity. Right Ap- prehenfions of God help us to underftand the Law, and right Apprchenfions of the Trinity will help us to un- deriland the Gofpel. Not how they are three Perfons and yet but one God, the Manner of which is not needful to be known •, but the Offices and Chara6lers they fuftain, and the different Parts they ad in the great Affair of faving Sinners. — God (fays the Text) fo loved the Worlds that he gave his only begotten Son •, that whofoever believeth in him^ .(hould not periJJj^ but have everlafting Life. i. e. God the Fa- ther, the great Governour of the World, whom we had offended by Sin — So LOVED the World i. e. with a Love of Bene- volence. Efteem us he could not ; for we were worthlefs and vile : To delight in us, it was impoffible ; for we were altogether odious and abominable. But to have a Good- will towards us, or a Will to do us Good, this he might have, altho' we were finful and guilty : Not indeed from any Motive in us ; for if we were viewed, and our Temper and Circumflances confidered, there was not to be {tta one Motive to Pity, no, not the leaft ; but every Motive to Indignation and Wrath. However, from Motives with- in himfelf, he might will to do us Good, notwithftanding our Sin and Guilt. The felf-moving Goodnefs of his Na- tdre did excite him, from the good Pleafure of his Will, to the Praife of the Glory of his Grace, to defign Mercy to- wards a finful, guilty, ruined World. — God fo loved theJVorld. The WQFJLD i. e. all Mankind, all thePofterity of Adam. For what follows, is evidently true, of every In- dividual : That he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever Relieves in him, fhould notperifh, but have everlafling Ltfe. SO loved- i. e. fo inconceivably, fo unfpeakably. That he GAVE his only begotten Son i. e. of his mere, pure Goodnefs conftituted him to be a Mediator, ap- pointed him to be a Redeemer and Saviour, to makeAtone- mcnt 252 True Religion delineated Dis. I. ment for Sin and purchafe divine Favours, and fo to open a Way for Sinners to return to God with Safety, and for God to fhew Mercy to them with Honour. God fo loved the Worlds i.e. all the Race o^ Adam^ that ht gave his only begotten Son, immediately upon theApoftacy of Mankind; for then was this Seed of the Woman promifed, {Gen. 3. 15.) that all, being hy Nature Children of IVrath^ might be pre- vented by divine Goodnefs. God faw all involved in Sin and Guilt and Ruin, by Adam's firft Sin : And fo he pro- vided a Saviour for all •, that whofoever believes in kim^fhould not perifh^ hut have everlafting Life, - Should not PERISH. He viewed all Mankind as finful and guilty, loft, undone and perifhing, /. e. expofed to the Wrath of God and Curfe of the Law, to all the Mi- feries of this Life, to Death it felf, and to the Pains of Hell for ever. And he gave his only begotten Son to be a Sa- viour, ^hat whofoever BELIEVE^H in him^ i. e. that ventures upon his Atonement, his Worth and Merits, his Mediation and Intercelllon, for divine Acceptance •, fo as to be thence emboldened to return Home to God, upon the Invitation of the Gofpel. That all fuch Ihould not perilh, But '^ Have EVERLASTING LIFE i.e. the everlaft- • ing Indwelling of the holy Spirit as a San6lifier and Com- ^forter, to be a never-failing Spring of a new, a fpiritaal and divine Life •, everlafting Union and Communion with 'Chrift, and the everlafting Favour and Enjoyment of God * thro' him. Thus we have in thefe Words a brief View of the glori- ous Gcfpel of the bleffed God. And from them we may learn, (i.) That God, the great Governourof the World, confidered Mankind, as being in zperijhing Condition, /. e. finful, guilty, juftly condemned, helplefs and undone. (2.) "That it was merely from Motives within bimfelf that he has done, what he has, for their Recovery out of this State. (3.) That he has conftituted his Son a Mediator, Redeemer %nd Saviour, that thro' him Sinners might be faved. (4.) •^^That he has appointed Faith in Chrift, to be the Condition •^^ of Salvation. Here therefore I will endeavour to Ihew, I. Upon ' and dtjlinguijh edfrom all Counterfeits. 253 I. Upon what Grounds it was, that God, the great Go- vernour of the World, did confider Mankind, as being in a ^^r/y^/wg- Condition, /. ^. finfu], guilty, juilly condemned, helplefs and undone. II. What were the Motives^ which excited him to do^^ what he has done, for their Recovery. III. What Necefftty there was of a Mediator zndRedeemer^ and how the Way to Life has been opened by him whom God has provided. IV. What is the true Nature of faving Failh in Him. And fo by the Whole, to explain the Nature of theGofpcl, and of a genuine Compliance therewith. — And in the lalt Place, V. Will confider the Promife of everlafting Life to thofe -who believe. Section I. Shewing the Reafbns why God does in the Gofpel conjtder Mankind as bei7ig in a periiliing Condition. I. I am to fhew upon 'ujhat Grounds it was, that Gody the great Goz-ernour of the World, did confider Mankind as being in a ptriihing Condition, i. e. fmful, guilty, juilly con- demned, helplefs and undone. That he did confider Mankind as being in a perilhing Condition, is evident, be- caufe he gave his only begotten Son, that they might not ■ferijh who fhould believe in him. If we were not in a perifhing Condition, his giving his Son to fave us from Perdition had been needlefs : and his pretending greatLove and Kindnefs in doing fo, had been to affront us -, to make as if we were undone Creatures, when we w^ere not ; and as if we were much beholden to him for his Goodnefs, when we could have done well enough without it. And the more he pretends of his great Love and Kindnefs, the -greater muft the Affront be. So that, however we look upon our felves, 'tis certain that God, who fees all Things as being what they are, did adually look ppon us, as in a ^^»^'*'' . periiliing 2 54 J rue Religion delineated Dis. IL perifhing, lofl, undone Condition. — And if he confidered ViS as being in fuch a Condition, it muri: have been becaufe he looked upon: us as finful, guilty, juilly condemned and altogether heiplefs •, for otherwife vyc were not in a perifli- ing Condition. If we could have helped our ielvesa little, we fhouid not have needed one to fave us, but only to help us to fave our lelvcs : but our Salvation in Scripture is always attributed wholly to God •, and God every where takes all the Glory to himfelf, as tho' in very Deed he had deferved it all. {Eph, i. 3 — 6. and 2. i — 9.) So that it is certain, God did look uponMankind as being in a periHiin^ Condition, finfui, guilty, juftly condemned, and altogether heiplefs : and confidering us in fuch a Condition, he enter- ed upon his Defigns of Mercy and Grace •, and therefore he every where magnifies his LiOve, and looks upon us as infinitely beholden to him, and under infinite Obligations to afcribe to him all the Glory and Praife, even quite all. nat no Flefi Jhould glory in his Prefence. But he that glorieth^ let him glory in the Lord, i Cor. i. 29, 31. It is of great Importance therefore, that we come to look upon our felves as being in fuch a penihing Condition too ; for otherwife it is impofiible we fhouid ever be in a Difpo- fition thankfully to accept Gofpel-Grace, as it is offered unto us. We Ihall rather be oflfended, as thinking the Gofpel cafls Reproach upon human Nature,in fuppofing us to be in fuchaforlornCondition,as toflandinaperiihingNeed of having fo much done for us. As the Jews of old fcorned it, when Chrift told them. If they would become his Bifciples, they jhould know the Truths and the Truth foould make them free. They took it as an Affront, and were ready to fay, *' What ! Juft as if we w^ere in Bondage ! Indeed no. We " were never in Bondage to any Man. W^e have Abraham « to our Father, and God is our Father \ but thou haft a " Devil." Joh, 8. 31 — 48. They would not underftand him,they were all in a Rage. And fo it is like to be with us, withRegard to the Methods, which God has taken with us in the Gofpel, unlefs we look upon our felves as he does, fo v/retched and mifcrable, fo poor, blind and naked, fo heiplefs, loft and undone. It is the want of this Self- Ac- quaintance, together with a fond Notion of our being in a much and diflinguijhed from all Counterfeits 255 much better Cafe than we be, that raifes fuch a mighty Cry againft the Do6lrines ot Grace, thro' a proud, impeni- tent, guilty World. And fince God does thus look upon us to be in fach a perilhing Condition, and upon this Suppontlon enters on his Defigns of Mercy and Grace, here now therefore docs the Quellion recur, Upon what Grounds is /'/, thai he conftders us as being in fuch a perifljing Condiiicn ? Grounds he mufl have, and good Grounds too, or he would never thus look upon us. If we may rightly underfland what they be, perhaps we may come to look upon our felves as he does •, and then the Grace of the Gofpei will begin to appear to us, in the fame Light it does to him. TheGrounds then, are as follows. I . God the great Governour of the World, does in the Gofpcl confider Mankind as bdng guilty of Adam's firft Sin^ aftd on that Account to be in a periihlng Condition. In, Ada'ni zill died^ ( i Cor. 15. 22.) But Death is the IVages of Sin: (Rom. 6. 23.) Therefore \n Adam all fmned. For by one Man Sin entered into the Worlds and Death by Sin j andfo Death paffed upon all Men^for that all have finned, i. e. fm- ned in Adam. (Rom. 5. 12. ) for (/. 19. ) By one Man's Difobedience many were made Sinners. And accordingly by the Offence of one^ Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation. And hence all are by Nature Children of Wrath. {^^\\, 2. 3.) - Ob J. But how can we be guilty of Adam's firft Sin? It was he committed ity and not we \ and that without our Con fent^ and a long Time before we were born. Ans. yfh.i 94 i. e. by .the LriputaUPn of Chrift's Obedience ^.jrr: ^ Believers 256 True Religion deii?2eated Dis. L Believers become legally righteous -, righteous in the Sight of God by Vertue of an ellablirhed Conftitution j and fo have the Reward of eternal Lile : So by the Imputation of Mam's firft Sin, his Poflerity by ordinary Generation, be- came legally Sinners, Sinners in the Sight of God by Ver- tue ot an eltabliHied Conftitution, and lb are expofed to the Punilhment of eternal Death, the proper Wages of Sin. Now it is true, we did not Personally rife in Rebellion a- gainft God in that firft Tranfgrefllon, but he who did do it Was cur Reprefentative. We are Members of the Commu- nity he adted for, and God confiders us as fuch •, and there- fore looks upon us as being legally guilty, and liable to be dealt with accordingly : And fo on this Account in a pe- rifhing Condition. But perhaps fome will ftill be ready to fay, " And where is thejuftice of all this ?" Methinks the following Confiderations, if we w^ill be difintereftedly im- partial, may fet the Matter in a fatisfying Light. (i.) That the original Ccnftituiion 7nade with Adam, as to himfelf perfonaUy ccnfidered^ was holy^juft and good. (2.) That if all bis Pojierity had been put under the fame Confiitution^ one by one^from Age to Age^ as they came intcBe- ing^ to aB for themjelves^ it had alfo been hcly^^juft a?id good, (^.) That it was, in the Nature of the Things in all Ref fe5fs^ as well for our Intereft^ that Adam fkculd be made our fublickHeadi^ Reprefentative^ to a^ not only for himfelf^ but for all his Pofterity^ as that we fhould each fi and and a^ for himfelf fingly •, and in fome Refpe^fs better. (4.) That in fuch a Cafe^ God^ as fupr erne Lord and fove^ reign Cover nour of the whole fForld^ had full Power and right- ful Authority to confiitute Adam our common Head and pub- lick Reprefentative^ to a6i in our Behalf. Let us there- fore diftindlly confider thefe Particulars. (i.j It is to be noted, the original Conflitution made w///^ Adam, (Gen. 2. 17.) as to himfelf perfonaUy confider ed^ was holy., juft and good, as will appear if we confider the Circumftances he was under, antecedent to thatConftitution or Covenant. For, In thefirfi Place^ Antecedent to that Covenant-Tranfac- tion, he was under infinite Obligations from the Reafbn and Nature of Things, to love God with all hi$ Heart and obey a?iddiftmguiJhedfrom all Counterfeits. 257 obey him in every Thing. From the infinite Excellence and Beauty of the divine Nature, and from God's original, en- tire Right to him, as his Creature, and abfolute Authority over him, as his S\ibje6f, did his infinite Obligation fo to do, necelTarily arife. It was fit, it was infinitely fit and right, that he ihould look upon the infinitely glorious God his Maker and Governour, as being what he was, and as having luch a Right to him and Authority over him as he had, and that he ihould be affeBed and a^ accordingly^ an- tecedent to the Confideration of any Coven ant-Tranfa6lion. And no Doubt, this was adluaily the Cafe with him, be- fore that Covenant was made ; for he ^Vas created in the Image of God ^ (Gen. i. 27.) And fo his Heart was full of a %t\\it of his Glory, and of admiring and adoringTho'ts : He felt that he was not his own, but the Lord's ; and he loved him and was entirely devoted to him, in the Temper of^iis Mind, confcious of the infinite Obligations he was under thereto. And farther, 'tis certain that God was the fole Lord and Owner of this lower World, and all Things in it ; and that Adam had no Right to any Thing but by a divine Grant.; And 'tis certain, it was fit that Adam fliould be put into a ^taU of Trialy and that God had Authority to do it. And now fince he was naturally under fuch infinite Ob- ligations to love and obey God his Maker, God the fu- preme Lord and fovereign Governour of all Things *, fincc he had no Right to any of the Trees of the Garden, but by the free Grant of God -, and fince it was fit he (hould be put into a State of Trial, and God had Authority to do it ; Since thefe Things were fo, it is evident, that Conftitutioa was HOLY, In the Bay thou eatefi thereof^ thoufhalt furely die. God had a Right to make fuch a Law i for Adam was his, and all the Trees in the Garden were his, and he was by Nature GOD, SUPREME LORD AND SOVE- REIGN GOVERNOUR of the whole World, and it wai fitting he fhould ad as fuch : And it was infinitely fit that Adum fhould have a facred Regard to his Authority in all -TRings, J>ecaufe he was fuch ♦, and that his eternal Welfare ftould lie at Stake, and be fufpended upon his good Beha- ,yipur,-i-i-tAjad no DouhlAdam^ viewed Things thus, an4 * . S waf 258 True Religion delineated Dis. II. was thoro'ly fenfible that God had a Right to prohibit that Tree upon Pain of Death, and that he was under infinite Obligations to have a moft facred Regard to his Will in that Matter. Thus that Conflitution was Hcly. And if we confider, in the next Place^ that, as has been obferved, Adam was under infinite Obligations to love God Kis Maker with all his Heart, and obey him in everyThing, refulting from the very Reafon and Nature of Things, it will appear that the 'Threatningwas jujl i and no more than what he muft have expedted, had he fallen into any Sin whatfoever, antecedent to any Conflitution at all. — Adam^ in a State of pure Nature^ i. e. prior to any Covenant-T^ranf- a5fion^ was under infinite Obligations to perfe6l Love a.nd perfect Obedience •, the leaft Defecl therefore muft have been infinitely finful ; and fo by Confequence muft have deferved an infinite Punilliment. And it was meet that God the Governour of the World fliouid punilh Sin accoi;^- ing to it's realDcfert : in the Nature of Things it was meet, antecedent to any exprefs Declaration of his Defign to do fo. And. Adam knew all this. He knew what Obligations • he was under to God, to love him with all his Heart and obey him in every Thing •, and by Confequence, he was confcious to'himfelf that the leaft Defed would be an infi- nite Evil, and fo would deferve an infinite Punifliment ; and he knew that it was the Nature of God to render to every one according to their Deferts : he was certain there- fore, from the Reafon and Nature of Things, antecedent to that Threatning, that the leaft Sin would expofe him to an infinite Puniihmcnt. From this View of the. Cafe, it is plain, that that Threatning wasjujly^nd Adam did moft perfedlly approve of it as fuch. It was no more than it was reafonable for Adam to exped, and meet for God to inflid, for any Tranfgreflion of the Law of Nature. And it was againft the Law of Nature, for Adam to eat the for- bidden fruit, when once God had faid, he fhould not. It was a pradtical denying of God's Supremacy, and cafting off his Authority, and an aftually fetting up of his Will againft the Lord's. If any Sin therefore deferred an ii^fi- nite Puaifhment, fui:eiy.tliat did. ''■ ■ 'Remark. a7id dijli7iguljhed from all Counterfeits, 259 Remark, And here by the AVay, from this View of the Cafe, we may eain a certain Knov/led to God their rightful Lord and Sovereign, to become his Servants, to love him and live to him and live upon him, and be bleiled in him for ever. And in this Light mud we view the Gofpel. And with this it's Defign muft we heartily fail in. And being en- couraged by the Grace of the Gofpel, to hope for Accep- tance in the Sight of God thro' Jefus Chrift, we muft thro'Chrift give up our felves to God, to be hisServants for Qver,Ltik. I. 74. 75. 2 Cor. 5. 2o.R0m.12, 1. Tit. 2. 11 — 14. From wlfet has been faid, it will be very natural to make thcfe following Remarks. Rem. I . If all God has done in the Gofpel for ourReco - very from Ruin, be of mere free Grace, then it is Self- evident tbat God was under no Obligations to a fallen., fi^'^y'l-, guilty., rebellious World \ but^ as for us., nught have., confiftent with all his Perfe5iions., left v,s in Ruin., to inherit the Fruit ef our Doings and theRunifhrnent of our Sin. He was under no Obligation to provide a Redeemer or a Sandifier, to give 2 88 True Religion delineated D i s . II. give the leail Hint of a Pardon, or take any Methods to recover us from the Power of Sin. He was under no Ob- ligations to deal any better by us, than would, in the whole, be no worfe than Damnation. By the Conditution with Adani^ and by the Law of Natuie, this would have been our proper Due. Every thing therefore, whereby our Cir- cumftances have been rendered better than the CircumUan- ces of the Damned, God was under no Obligations unto ^ but all, over and above that, has been of free and fovereign Grace. God was at Liberty, as to us, not to have done any of thefe Things for us. Yea, there were on our Part mighty Hindrances to prevent the Mercy of God, and to put a Bar in the Way of the free and honourable Exercife of his Grace. Even fuch Hindrances, that nothing could remove them, but the Blood of Chriil. Plence, Rem. 2. MankinUwere^ by their Fall ^ brought into a State of Being infinitely 'worfe than net to he. The Damned inHell no doubt are in fuch a State, clfe their Punifhment would , not be infinite •, as Juftice requires it ihould be. ButMan- kind by the Fall were brought into a State,for Subllance, * as bad as that which the Damned are in. For the Damned undergo nothing in Hell, but what, by the Conftitution with Adam and tke Law of Nature, all Mankind were and would have been, for Subftance, expofed unto, if mere Grace had not prevented. And according to what was but now obferved, God was under no more Obligation, to grant any Relief to Mankind, in this their fallen, fin- ful, guilty, undone Condition, than he is now to the Damned in Hell ^ /. e. under no Obligations at all : but the Way for Mercy to come to them was mightily barred and blocked up, by the infinite Reafonablenefs of their be- ing punillied, and their infinite Unworthinefs, in the very Nature of Things, as the Cafe then flood, of ever being pitied. So that Mankind were by the Fall brought into a State of Being, (in Scripture called Condemnation and fVrath, * For Suhfiancey I fay^becaufe it maftbe remembred that the fuperaddcd Punifhment inflidled upon any in Hell, for defplfing the Gofpel, muft be left out of the Account. For all this, is over and above, what, by the Conftitution with Adam and theLaw of Nature, Mankind wer« or ever would have been expofed unto- a7id dijlmgiiijhed fro7n all Counterfeits. 289 Wrath ^ Rom. 5. 18. Eph. 2. 3.) for Subilance, as bad as that which the Damned are in •, fo that if the Damned are in a State of Being, infinitely worfe than not to be, as no Doubt they are •, then fo aJfo were Mankind. And Man- kind being adlually brought into fuch a State by the Fall, is what renders the Grace of the Gofpel, fo inconceivable, fo unfpcakable in it's Greatnefs, and fo abfokitely free. To deny, that Mankind by the Fall were brought into fuch a State, is the fame Thing in Efie6l as to deny original Sin, and undermine the glorious Grace of the Gofpel. Ob J. But how could Gcd^ confiftent with his Ferfe^Hons^ put us into a State of Beings worfe than not to be ? or how can ive ever thank God for fuch a Being ? Ans. Our being brought into fo bad an Eflate was not owing to God, i. e. to any Fault in him, but merely to our felves, to our Apoilacy from God. It was our Apoftacy from God, that brought all this upon us, in Way of righteous Judgment. Rom, 5. 18, 19. Our being in fo bad a State is no more owing to God, than theirs is who are now in Hell. They deferve to be inHell, according to a Law that is holy, jufl and good ; and we deferve to be in fuch a State, according to the Conflitutioa made with Adam^ which was alfo holy, juil and good : and therefore the one may be confiftent with the divine Per- fections, as well as the other. It cannot be difagreeable to the Holinefs, Juftice, and Goodnefs of the divine Nature, to deal with Mankind according to a Conftitution, in it's own Nature, holy, juft, and good. Now in as much as God did virtually give Being to all Mankind, when he bleffed our firft Parents, and faid. Be fruitful and multiply ; and in as much as Beings under the Circumftances that Man was then put in by God, was very defireable : we ought therefore to thankGod for our Beings confidered in this Light, and juftify God in all the Evil that is come upon us for our Apoftacy. For the Lord is righteous, and we are a guilty Race. Thofe in Hell are in a State of Being, infinitely worfe than not to be ; and inftead of thanking God for their Beings, they blafpheme his Name : but ftill there is no juft pround for their Condudl. They have no Rcafon to think V hard 290 Irue Religion delineated Dis. JI. hard of God for damning them : they have no Reafon to blame him : they have noReaibn to eileem him e'er the lefs for it : he docs what is fit to be done : His Condud is amiable ; and he is, worthy of being efleemed for doing as he does i and all holy Beings will always efteem him for it. {Rev. 19. 1,-6.; Therefore the Damned ought to af- cribe all their Evil to themlelves, and juilify God, and fay, ;*V He gave us Being, and: it was a Mercy, and he deferves *' Thanks ^ but to us it is owing,that we are now in a State " infinitely worfe than not to be :. God is not to blame for " that ; nor is he the lefs worthy of Thanks for giving *' us Being, and for all pad Advantages whicli we ever " enjoyed : for the Lav/ is holy, juft and good, by and *' according to v/hich we fuffer all thefe Things." So here : Mankind by the Fall, were brought into a State of Being infinitely worfe than not to be \ and were they but fo far awake as to be fenfible of it, they would no doubt all over the Earth murmur and blafpheme the God cf Heaven. But what then ? There would be no juil Ground for fuch a Condu6l. We have no Reafon to think hard of God, to blame him, or to efteem him e'er the lefs. What he has done, was fit and right \ his Condu6t was beautiful ; and he is worthy to be efteemed for it. For that Conftitution was holy, juft and good, as has been proved. And therefore a fallen World ought to afcribe to them- felves all their Evil, and to juftify God, and fay, " God *' gave us Being under a Conftitution holy, juft and good \ *' and it was a Mercy. ^ We iliould have accounted it a *' great Mercy, in cafe ^Adam had never fallen -, but God *' was not to blame for this, nor therefore is he the lefs .*' worthy of Thanks. All that we fuffer, is by and accord- 1" ingto a Conftitution in it's own Nature holy, juft and '" good." Thus Mankind ought to have faid, had God never provided a Saviour, but left all the World in Ruin. And thus ought they to have juftified God's Condu6l, laid all the Blame to themfelves,and acknowleged that God de- ferved Praife from all his Works ; which, as'.they came out of his Hands, were all very good. Gen. i..3^x.- Ob J. But altho' we were by the Fall brought . ihtQ fuch a State cfV/rath and Condemnationy yet now we .are. delivered cut a7id dijli7iguifped from all Counterfeits. 291 out of it by Chrijl \ for as in y^i^w all die, fo in Christ fliali all be made alive. Ans. Before Men believe in Chrift, they are as juftly expofed to divine Vengeance, as if Chrift had never died. Job, 3. 18, 36. And tiiere is nothing to keep off Ven- geance, one Moment, but fovereign Mercy •, which yet they continually affront and provoke. Rom. 2. 4, 5. And they are fo tar from an Inclination to turn to God of their own Accord, that they are difpofed to refift all the Means ufed to reclaim them. Job. 3. 19. 'Tis true, God is ready thro' Chrift to receive returning Sinners, and invites all to return thro' him. Thus God is good and kind to an apoftate World, and offers us Mercy. God is not to blame that we are in fo bad a Cafe : our Deftrudion is of our felves, and the Lord is righteous. — But flill it is evident, we are in a periiliing Condition, and fhall certainly perifii notwithllanding all that we of our own micre Motion fhall ever do. If fovereign Grace don't prevent, there is no hope. Obj. But if Mankind are thus by Nature Children of JVrath^ in a State of Being worfe than not to be^ and even after that Chrifi has done^ are in themfehes thus utterly undone ♦, t Men have a Heart to propagate their Kind ? or ac- all Inr.cf f2cw can count it a Bleffing to have a numerous Pofterity ? Ans. 'Tis manifefl by their Condud, by their negled- ing their Children's Souls, and caring only for their Bodies, that Parents in general do not propagate with any Con- cern about the fpiritual and eternal Well-being of their Pofterity. 'Tis probable, in general they are influenced by the fame Motive that the brutal World be, together with a Defire to have Children under the Notion of a worldly Comfort, without fcarce a Thought of what will become of their Pofterity for Eternity. As to godly Parents, they have fuch a Spirit of Love to God and Resignation to his Will, and fuch an Approba- tion of his Difpenfations toward Mankind, and iuch a liking to his whole Scheme of Government, that they are content that God Ihculd govern the World as he does, and that he Ihould have Subjeds to govern, and that them- felves ^nd their Pofterity ihould be under him, and at his V 2 difpofe. 292 7r^^ Religmz delineated Dis. II. difpofe. Nor are they without hopes of Mercy for their Children, from fovereign Grace thro' Chrift, while they do thro' him devote and give them up to God, and bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. And thus they quiet themielves as to their Souls. And now ccnfidering Children merely as to this Life, 'tis certain, that it is a great Comfort and BleiTmg to Parents, to have a promifing Offspring. As to carnal Men, fmce they are Enemies to God and to his holy Law, it is no wonder they are at Enmity againil his whole Scheme of Conduct as Governour ot the World. Did they underftand how God governs the World, and firm- ly believe it, I doubt not, it would make ail their native Enmity ferment to Perfedlion. They would wiih them- felves to be from under God's Government, and hate that he fhould ever have any Thing of theirs to govern. As loon as ever they enter into the eternal World, and fee how Things really be, this will no doubt actually be their Cafe. — In a Word, if Men heartily like the original Conftitution with Adam^ as being in it's own Nature holy, juft & good, this Objection will, upon mature Confideration, be no Difficulty with them \ and if they do not, 'tis not any Thing that can be faid, will fatisfy them. But wicked Men's not liking the Conftitution, does not prove it to be bad. Ob J. // cari^t be thought a BkJJing to have Children^ if the mojl of them are like finally to perifh. Ans. The moft of Abraham's Pofterity, no doubt, for above thefe threeThoufandYears,have bee.i wicked and have perifhed ; and God knew before- hand how it would be ; and yet he promifed fuch a numerous Pofterity under the Notion of a great Blefling, Ge7i, 22. For confidering Chil- dren merely as to this Life, they may be a great Bleffing and Comfort to Parents, and an Honour to them : but it is very fitting, our Children fhould be God's Subjects, and under his Government : nor be they e'er the lefs Bleftings to us as to this Life, becaufe they muft be accountable to God in the Life to come. They may be a great Comfort to us in this Life -, and we are certain, God will do them n<3 Wrong in thcLifc to come, AH Men's murmiuring " ' Thoughts aitd dijlinguipjed from all Count erjeits. 293 Thoughts about this Matter arife from their not liking God's Way of governing the World. Rem. 3. I^hen do we begin to make ajuft Eftimate of the Grace^ the free, rich and glorious Grace of God, the great Go^ "oernour of the IVorld, difplayed in the Gofpel, when we confider Mankind, by and accordirig to a Confiitution and a haw, both of them holy, jiifl and good, aEluaUy in fiich a ruined State, Now we may begin a little to fee the natural Import of thofe Words, God fo loved the World, Such a World Vv^as it, that he loved and pitied, A World in fo bad a State. A perifhing World, finful, guilty, jufliy condemned, alto- gether helplefs and undone. And to have a Door opened by the Blood of Chrill, for us to be raifed from the Depth of fuchRuin, is wonderfulGrace indeed. — And in thisLighc does the Matter (land in Scripture- Account. For accord- ing to that, By the Offence of cne^ Judgment came upon all to Condemnation, and by the, Difchedience of one, many were made (or conftitutedj Sinners, by Virtue of the original Confii- tution with Adam. * Rom*-^, i8, 19. And all the World Hood guilty before God, by Virtue of their want of Confor- mity unto and Tranfgreflidn of the Law of Nature or moral Law. Rom. 3. 9, — 19. And hence Mankind were confi- dered as being under Sin, and under the Curfe of the Law\ and under the Wrath of God. Rom. ^. ^. Gal. 3. 10. Joh. 3.16. Rom. 1 . 1 8 . And under this Notion Chrift was ap- pointed, to fave his People from their Sins, Mat. i. 21. to deliver them from the Wrath to come, i Thef i. 10. and to bring it to pafs that, whereas by the Difobedience of one many were made Sinners, fo by the Obedience of one many might be made righteous, Rom. 5. 19. And hence the Gofpel fo mightily magnifies the Grace of God, his Love and Good- nefs, as being unparallel'd, unfpeakable, inconceivable, pairing Knowlege. God fo loved the Worlds fays Chrifl, God commendeth his Love, faith Paul. Herein is Love^ fays John. It has Height and Length, Depth and Breadth, It is rich Grace ; and the exceeding Riches of Grace. And why ? why is it fo magnified and extolled ? why, for this, among V 3 other Conjlituted Sinners, it is in the Original ; for it was by Virtue of tl.ir primitive Confiitution with Adam, that his firft Sia laid Si.U hij Poflai.y under Sin, Guilt and Ruin, 2 94 True Religion deliiteated Dis. II. other Reafons, becaufe all this was done while 12:6 did net love God, while we were Sinners^ while we were Ungodly^ while wc were Enemies^ while we were expo fed to Wrath ^ guilty before God^ perifloing^ lofl, 'vuithcut Strength. Thus God has reprefented it in his Word, his JVcrd which is the Image of his Mind, and which ll^iews us how he looks upon Things, and how they really are. See Jch.7^.16^06. Rom. 5. 6, 7, 8. I J oh. 4. 10. Eph. 1.7. and 2. J.,^: and 3. 19. ^^]Jlt. iS, II. (^c. Never therefore can a Sinner rightly underftand the Gofpel of Chrift, or fee his Need of the Provifion therein madejOr in lur, Meafure make a juft Eftimate of the Grace of God therein difplayed, until he is in Ibme Meafure con- vinced and made really fenfible, by the Spirit of God, that he is aftually in fucli a finful, guilty, helplefs, undone Con- dition. This therefore is abfolutely necefiary, in order to a genuine Compliance with the Gofpel by Faith in Jefjs Chriil. Luk. 5. 31. For the whole need not a Fhyftcian^ hut they that are Jick. And as ''mis is requlHte in order to the firfl A6b of Faith •, fo for" • ' '- ^">me Reafon muft we all our Days live under a reali' a~\{^ of this our frnful, guilty, undone Eftate, by Nature, and in our felves, in order to live by Faith. And this will make Chrift preci- OUSj and the Grace of the Gofpel precious •, and efFcdlually awaken us to Gratitude and fhankfulnefs ; for now every Tiling in our Circumilances, v/herein w^e are better of it thv^n the Damned, will be accounted fo great a Mercy, and the Effccl: of mere Grace. And fo fir as v;e are from a clear Sight and realifing "^.'^wi^ of this our finful, guilty, lYndone Eflate ; fo far fiiali we be infenfible of the Preci- oulhcfs of Chriil,and the frcenefs of Grace,and the greatnefs of God's Meiv:y towards us. Thus, having conHdered the Grounds upon which the rnoil- high God did look upon Mankind as being in a pe- liiliihg Condition, and the Moti^ces whereby he was excited to enter upon any Methods for their Recovery •, we pro- c/;ed now. more particularly to ccnfider the Ways and Msans ).ic has taken and ufed to bring it about. Section ' a7id dijimguijhedfrom all Counter feiis, 29 5 Section HI. Concer7iing the Nature arid Necejjfity of .Satisfaction for Sin. I am now, III, To fhew ijohat NeceJJity there 'Kas for a Mediator^ and how the Way to Life has been opened by him whom God has provided. It is plainly fuppofed, that there was a Ne- ceflity of a Mediator, and of fuch a one too as God has a6lually provided, in order to our Salvation •, for otherwife it had been no Love or. Gcodnefs in God to have given his only begotten Son. For there can be no Love or .Goodnefs in his doing that for us which we do not need, and without v/hich we might have been faved as well. Nor is it to be fuppofed, that God would give his Son, to die for a guilty World, without urgent Neccjfity, If fome cheaper & eafier Way might have been found out, he vvould furely have fpared his beloved Son : ;^l|f%ad no Inclination to make light of his Son's Blood : it was a great ning for a GOD to become incarnate^ an3^f ; and there mull; therefore have been fome very urgent Confiderations, to induce the wife Governour of the World to fuch an Expedient. And here then thefe Things m.ay be particularly inquired into. 1. What NecelTity was thjfe of Satisfaction for Sin ? 2. What Satisfaction has tlfere been m^ade ? And where- in does it's Sufficienc^onfiit ? 3. How has thogpiVay to Life ^otQn opened by the Means } 4. What Methods has the great Governour of the World entered upon,for the actualRccovery of fmfulCreatures ? I . We are to confider what Neceffity there was of Satis- faction for Sin, It was needful, or elfe ne Satisfaftion would have been ever required or made. And the Neceffity was certainly very great and urgent, or the Father would never have been willing to have given his Son^ or the Son to have undertaken the Work, a Work attended v/ith fo much La- bour and Suffering. But why was it necelTary ^ This, I think, will appear, if we deliberately and ferioufly weigh thefe Things. . i: . '.'. y 4 (I.) ^^v/ 296 True Religion deli7tealed Dis. 11. (i.) T'hat God the great Creator^ Preferver^ and ahfolute Lord of the ivhoU Worlds is, not only a Bebjg of infiyiite Un- derfianding and nlmighty Power, but alfo a Being infinite and unchangeable in all moral Prcpenfities : he IcvesRight and hates Wrong to an infiyiite Degree, and unchangeably : or in Scrip- iure-Language, he thus loves Right eov.fnefs and hates Iniquity. By his infinite Underflanding, he ki^s all Things, as being what they really are. Whatfoever is fit - and right, he be- holds as being fuch : and whatfoever is unfit and wrong, be alfo beholds as being ilich. And as are his Views, fo is the Temper of his Heart ; he infinitely loves that which is fit and right, and infinitely hates that which is unfit and wrong. Or in other Words, he has an infinite Senfe of the moral Fitnefs & Unfitnefs of Things,and an anfwerablc Frame of Heart, i. e. infinitely loves the one, and infinite- ly hates the other. From Eternity God has had an Ali- comprehenfive View of Things, of every Thing that was pofTible to be or that actually v,^ouid be, and of all theRelati- ons oneBeing would bear to another, and the Relation that all woulci bear to him, and has feen v/hatCondudl; would be right and fit in him towards thelii, and in them towards him and towards one another, and what would be wrong ; and from Eternity it has been his Nature, infinitely to love that which is right, and hate that which is wrong. And this his Nature has influenced him in all his Condu{5l, as moral Governour of the World -, and he has given fo bright a Reprefentation of it, that this.feems to be the firft and moil natural Idea of God that we^n attain. It fhines thro' all the Scriptures, thro' the Law and the Gofpcl, and thro' his v/hole Condu6l in a thoufand Initances. God does not appear to be a Being infiuenced,acled, and governed by a groundlefs arbitrary Self-Will, having no Regard to right Reafon, to the moral Fitnefs andUnfitnefs of Things : nor does he appear to be a Being governed and aded by a groundlefsFondnefs to his Creatures. It a Thing is not right, he will not do it, merely becaufe he is above Controul, is the grcatcit and ilrongefl, and can bear down all before him. Gen. 18. 25. And if a Thing is wrong, he will not connive at it, at all, becaufe it was aded by his Creatures, aliho' ever fo dear to him, and altho' the moll exalted ajid diJlinguiJJoedfrom all Counterfehs, icj'j exalted in Dignity, Honour andPriviledges. For Inftance, \.\\Q. finning Angels^ finning Jdam^thc Ifraelites in the Wilder- nels, his peculiar People. Mofes^ for fpeaking unadvifedly with his Lips, fhall not enter into Canaan. David., the Man after his own Heart, he finned ; and the Sword^ fays God, floall not depart from thy Houfe. Yea, he fpared not his own Sony when he flood in the Room of Sinners. If he had been g(!)verncd by ^ny Thing like human Fondnefs, furely it would now have appeared. And befidcs, if that were the Cafe, he could never bear to fee the Damned lie in the dreadful Torments of Hell to all Eternity. Indeed, by all he has faid, and by all he has done, he appears to have an infinite Senfe of the moral Fitnefs and Unntnefs of Things, and an anf\s^rable Frame of rieart •, and to be governed and adtuated by this Temper, under the Direc- tion of infinite Wifdcm. Hence, as is liis Nature., fo is the Name which he has taken to himfelf, viz. The HOLT ONE of Ifrael It is true, he is a Being of infinite Goodnefs & Mercy ; yet that is not a fond., but 2, holy Propenfity, under the Go- vernment of infinite Wifdom : that is, he confiders the Happinefs and Good of his Creatures, his intelligent Crea- tures, as being what it is. He fees what it is worth, and of how great Importance it is •, and how much to be de- fired, in it felf, and compared with other Things : he fees it to be juit what it really is, and has an anfwerable Difpo- fition of Heart, i.e. Isdelirous of theirHappinefs,and averfe to their Mifery, in an exacl Proportion to the real Nature of the Things in thcmfelves. It is true, fo great is his Benevolence, that there is not any Adl of Kindnefs or Grace fo great, but that he can find in his Heart to do it, yea, has an infinite Inclination to do it \ if, allThings confider- ed,in his unerring Wifdom, he judges it fit and belt. And yet at the fame Time it is as true, fuch is the perfedt Rec- titude and fpotlefs Purity of his Nature, that there is not any Ad: of Juflice fo tremendous, or any Mifery fo dread- ful, but that he can find in his Heart, his Creatures Hap- pinefs notwithftanding, to do that A61 of Juftice, ahd in- fli6l thatMifery, if Need fo require ; yea, he has an infinite Inclination thereto. He regards their Happinefs and Mi- fery 298 True Religio?z delineated Dis. II. fery as being what they are, of very great Importance in themfelves, but of little Importance compared with fome- thing elfc. He had rather the whole Syltem of intelligent Creatures fhould lie in Hell to all Eternity, than do the very leaft Thing, that is in it felf unfit and wrong. Yea, if it was put to his own Cafe, if we could poflibiy fuppofe fuch a Thing, he would make it appear, that he does as he would be done by, when he punifhes Sinners to all Eternity. It was in a Sort put to his own Cafe once, when his Son, who was as himfilf, ftood in the Room of a guilty World •, and his Heart did not fail him \ but ne appeared as great an Enemy to Sin then, as ever he did or will do to all Eternity. His treating his Son as he did in the Garden and upon the Crofs, immediately hlmfelf and by his In- llruments, was as bright an Evidence of the Temper of his Heart,as if he had damned the whole World. He appear- ed what he was then, as much as he will at the Day of Judgment. He is infinite in Goodnefs ; yet he is infinitely averfe to do anyAft ot Kindncfs, at the Expence of Juflice, from mere Fondnefs to his Creatures. And as his Goodnefs is not Fondnefs, fo his Juflice is not Cruelty. He infinitely hates that which is unfit and wrong, and is difpofed to teftify that his hatred in fome vifible publick Manner, by infiicling fome proportionable Puniihment. Not becaufe Sinners hurt him, and fo make him angry and reverl^eful ; for their Obedience can do him no good, nor their Difobedience any hurt. Job ^S-^^J- Nor indeed fomuch becaufe they hurt themfelves ; for it they did wrong in no other Refuedt, he v;ould never treat them with fuch Severity. But this is the Truth of the Cafe ; the great Governour of the World has an infinite Senfe of the moral Fitnefs and Unfitnefs of Things, and an anfwerablc Frame of Heart. And fo he infinitely loves that which is fit, and commands and rewards it •, and infinitely hates the contrary, and forbids and puniflies it. — Only it muft be remembered, that the Rewards he grants to the good, arc of mere Bounty as to them, becaufe they can deferve nothing. Rom. 11.35. But the Punifhments he inflids on the Wicked, are pure Juftice, becaufe they deferve all. Rom. 6. 23. For altho* Creatures cannot merit Good at the Hands of .God, from whom and dijlinguijhed frOfU all Coimterfeiis. 299 whom they receive all, and to whom they owe all \ yet they can merit Evil. Neverthelefs Rewards and Panifh- ments are both alike in this Reipe6l, viz. that they are vifible publick Teilimonies born by the Governour of the World, to the moral Amiablenefs of Virtue, on the one Hand, and to the moral Hatefulnefs of Vice, on the other. The one is not the Effed of Fondnefs, nor the other of Cruelty : but the one refults from the Holinefs and Good- nefs of the divine Nature, and the other from his Hohnefs and Juftice. By the one, it appears how he loves Virtue, and how exceeding bountiful he is i and by the other, how he hates Sin, and how much he is difpofed to difcounte- nance it, by treating it as being what it is. Thus, I fay, in the firfl Place, we muft confider Go;^,*:hc fupreme Governour of the World, as a Being, not only of iniinite Underflanding and almighty Power, but alfo infi- nite and unchangeable in all moral Propenfities : As one having a perfedl Senfe of the moral Fitnefs and Unfitnefs of Things, and an anfwerable Frame of Heart. Or in Scrip- ture-Language, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty -, the holy one of Ifrael The Lord God gracious and merciful, hut by no Means 'clearing the guilty. Of pirer Eyes than to behold Ini(imty. Who loveth Righteoufnefs and hateth Iniquity. Who renders to every 07ie according to their Doings, &c. Without aright Idea of God the fupremeGovernour of ths V/orld, and a realifmg living Senfe of him on our Hearts, it is impofTible we fhould rightly underfland the Methods he has taken to open a Way for his Mercy to come out after a rebellious guilty World, or truly fee into the Grounds of his Condud, the Reafons of his doing as he has done. If we know God, and have a Tafle for moral Beauty, wejQiall be in a Difpofition to underfland the Gof- pel ; but otherwife we fhall not. Joh. 7. 17. and 8. 47. For in the whole of this great Affair of our Redemption, he has a6led altogether like himfelf. (2.) God is infinitely excellent, glorious and aviiable^in being what he is. His having fuch a Nature or Temper, and at the fame Time being of infinite Underflanding and al- mighty Power,renders him infinitely excellent, glorious and amiable, far beyond the Conceptions of any finite Mind. Ifai, 300 True Religmi deli?2eated Dis. II. Ifai. 6. 3. Hcly\ Holy^ Holy Lord Cod Almighty^ the whole Earth is full of thy Glory. Hence, God loves^ efteems and delights in himfelf infinitely. Not indeed from what we call a felfifh Spirit •, for could we fuppofe there was another juft what he is, and himfelf an Inferior, he would love, efteem and delight in that other, as entirely as he does now in himfelf It is his being what is, that is the Ground of his Self-Love, Efteem & Delight. Hence again. He loves to a5i like himfelf^ in all his Con- du6l as moral Governour of the World, as entirely as he loves himfelf \ and it is as much contrary to his Nature^ to counter ah the 'Temper of his Heart, in his publick Conduct, as to ceafe to be what he is. And the plain Realbn is, that there is the fame Ground for the one as for the other. He loves himfelf, becaufe he is moft excellent, in being, what he is : And for the fame Keafon, he loves to aCl like him- felf, becaufe that is moft excellent too. He cannot be wil- ling to ceafe to be of that Temper or Nature he is of, be- caufe it is moft excellent ; and for the fame Reafon, he cannot be willing to counteract it, becaufe it is moft excel- lent to ad agreeably to it in all Things. He is under Ne- cefTity to love himfelf •, and he is under the fame Neceffity to ad: like himfelf Gen. 18. 25. Hence it is a common Thing for God in great Earneftnefs to fay in his Word, 1 will do fo andfo, and theyfhall KNOPF THAT I AM J HE LORD. As if he fnould fay, " A guilty rebellious Race " may think and fay what they will of me, yet I am what *^ I am, and I will ad like my felf, and all the World fliall " know that I am the Lord, i. e. that I am what I pretend " to be : They fhall know it by my Condud, fooner or' " later." ('^). God cannot be f aid to a5i like himfelf .^tinlefs he appears^ as great an Enemy to Sin, in his publick Government of the IVorldy as he really is at Heart. If his Condud as moral Governour of the World, the whole being taken together, Ihould look with a more favourable Afped towards Sin, or appear lefs fevere, than really he is ; then it is felf-evident that his Condud would not be Hke himfelf, nor would it tend to exhibit a true Idea of him to all attentive Spec- tators in all his Dominions, If his Creatures and Subjeds, in and dijiinguijjjed from all Counterfeits. 301 in fuch a Cafe, fhould judge of his Nature byhis ConduEf^ they would neceflarily trame wrong Notions of the divine Being. And he hinifelf muft fee and know, that he did not ac> Hke himfelf ; nor appear in his Conducfl to be what he was in his Heart. But God, the fupreme Governour of the World, does at Heart look upon Sin as an infinite Evil, and his Averfion and Enmity to it is infinite. He Icoics upon it, and ( to fpeak of him after the Manner of Men ) is atfe^ted towards it, as being what it really is. But it is infinitely wrong and wicked, for us not to love him with all our Heart and obey him in every Thing : The lead Sin is an infiniteEvil ; and fuch he fees it to be, and as fuch does he abhor it. The infinite Evil of Sin does not confill in it's lefiening God's elTential Glory or Blelfednefs ; for they are both in- dependent on us, and far out of our Reach : nor does it confifr merely in it's Tendency to make us miferable. But in it's own Nature it is infinitely wrong, in as much as v/e are under infinite Obligations to perfect Holinefs. Our Ob- ligations to love God with all our Heart, are in Proportion to his Amiablenefs \ but that is infinite : not to do fo there- fore is infinitely wrong. But, as has been faid, God has an infiniteSenfe of the moralFitnefs and Unntnefs ofThings, and an anfwerable Frame of Heart, i. e. he infinitely loves that which is right,and infinitely hates that which is wrong. And therefore he infinitely hates the leaft Sin. If therefore he acls like himfelf, he mufl in his publick Government of the World, his whole Conduct being taken together, appear in the moft evident Manner to be an infi* nite Enemy to the leafl Sin. He muft appear infinitely fevere againil it \ and never do any Thing, which, all Things confidered, feems to look at all with another Af- ped. (4.) God the fupreme Governour of the World cmft be faid to appear an infinite Enemy to Sin, and to appear infinitely fevere againji it, and that without the leafl Appearance of a favourable Afpe5t towards it, in his Condu^ •, unlefs he does always throughout all his Dominions,not only in Word threaten, hut in Fa^ punifh it, with infinite Severity, without the leaft Mitigation or Abatement^ in any one Infta?ice whatfoever. 302 T'rue Religion delineated Dis. II. If he fV.ould never, in hisGovernment of the World, fay or do any living againilSinjit v/ould feem as if he was a Friend to it, or at leaft very indifterenc about it. It he fliould fay and not do, threaten to punifhjbut never infiidt the Funiffi- menc, his Creatures and Subjedts might be tempted to fay, " He pretends to be a mighty Enemy to Sin, and that is all." If he fhould generally punifh Sin with infinite Severity, but not always j there would at leafl be fom.e favourable Afpedt towards Sin, in his viable Condudt. And his Subjecls might be ready to fay, " If he can fufier Sin " to go half unpuniflied, why not altogether ? and if alto- " gether at one Time, why not at another ? And if he " can abate the threatned Puniihment in fom.e Degree, in '' fon»ie Inftances ; why not altogether, in ail Inilances ? *' If there is no abfoluteNeceiTity that Sin fnould be punifii- *' ed, w^hy does he ever punifli it 1 But if it be absolutely " necellary, why does he ever fufFer it to go unpuniflied ?" It would feem at leaft, by fuch a Condud, as if Sin was not fo exceeding bad a Thing, but that it might efcape Punifnment fometimes : and as if God was not fuch an infinite unchangeable Enemy to it, but that he might be difpofed to treat it with a little Favour. In a 'Word, if God fnould always punifh Sins, not one excepted, and that throughout all his Dominions, and yet not do it always with infinite Severity -, but in fome Inflances, one in a Mil- lion weMl fay, fliould abate a little, and but a very little •, yet fo much as he abates, be it more or lefs, fo much dees he treat Sin in a favourable Manner, and fo much does he fall fhort of treating it with due Severity, and fo far does he appear in his Condu6t from being an infinite unchangea- ble Enemy to it. So that it is very evident, that he cannot, in hisCondu61: as moral Governour of the World,appear an infinite unchangeable Enemy to Sin, without the leafl Ap- pearance to the contrary, in any other pofTible Way or Method, than by always punifhing it with infinite Severity, without the leafl Abatement, in any one Inflance, in any Part of his Dominions, in Time or Eternity. And this would be to adt like himfelf ♦, and in and by fuch a Condud, he would appear to be what he is. But to do ctherwife, would be to counterad his own Nature, and give a falfe Reprefentation arid didtngtitped from all Counterfeits 303 Reprefentation of his Heart, by a Condudl unlike him- felf. •^.^•T^hus, it is the Nviturc of God, the great Governor of •ihc World, in all his Condudt, to act like himfelf : Bat he canft be faid to a6t like himfelf, unlefs he appears as great an Enemy to Sin and as fevere againft it, as he really is, \vithout the lead Shadow of the contrary : but his Conduct cannot appear in this Light, unlefs he does in Facl punilh Sin with infinite Severity, thro'out all hisDominions,with- out the lead Mitigation, in any one Indance, irr Time or Eternity : therefore, it is the Nature of God, theGovernour of the World, to do fo : And therefore, he can no fooner, nor any cafier, be willing, to let any Sin go unpuniflied, than he can, to ceafe to be what he is. * For, as was before proved, it is as impolTible for him to a6l contrary to his ovvn Nature, as it is to ceafe to be what he is : and he can confent to the one, as eafily, as to the other. Hence, we may learn, this is rerdly a Branch of the Law of Nature^ ^hat Sin ffjciild be punijljcd : it refults from the Nature of God, the Governour of the Y/orld: it was no arbitrary Conditution : it did not refult from the divine Sovereignty. It would, in the Nature of Things, have been no Evil, for Adam to have eaten of the7r 22. Having therefore. Brethren, holdnefs to enter into the ho- Heft by the Blood of Jefus, by a ne^jo and living Way which he. hath co:ifecrated for us \ — and having an high Prieft over the Houfe of God : let us draw near with a true Heart, in full Affurance of Faith. Rom. 3. 25. For him hath God fet forth to be a Propitiation for Sin, to declare his Right eoufnefsy that he might be juft, ^c. And a clear reaUfing Senfe of thefe Things on ourHearts, will lay a Foundation for us to fee, how the Gofpel-Way of Salvation is calculated to bring much Glory to God, and abafe Sinners in the very Dull, which is that wherein the Glory of the Gofpel very much confifts. Rom. 3. 27. Eph. I. 3 — 12. And we fhall learn to rejoyce to fee God alone exalted, and freely to take our proper Place, and lie down in the Dull, abafed before the Lord for ever. And indeed it is perfe6lly fit in this Cafe, that the Rebel-Wretch fliould come down, and be fo far from finding Fault with the 314 True Religion delineated Dis. 11. the great Governour of the World, and with his holy, jufl and good Law, that he fl:iould rejoyce that God has taken fuch anefiedtual Method to lecure his own Honour,and the Honour of his Law. We ought to be ghd with all our Hearts, tliat the fupreme Governour of the World did put on State, and fland ibr his Honour, and the Honour of his Law, without the leaft Abatement ; and did infill upon it, that Sin fliould be puniflied, the Sinner humbled, and Grace glorified : thefe were Things of the greateft Impor- tance. And WT ought to choofe to be faved in fuch a Way, to have God honoured, and our felves humbled. And it is evident, this mull be the Temper of every one that comes into a genuine Compliance with the Gofpel. Thus much concerning the NecefFity of Satisfaction for Sin. But here now fome may be ready to inquire. Was it not as necejary^ that the Precepts of the Lawfiouhl he cbeyed., as that the Penalty ficuld he fiiffered ; to make Way for the dinner not only to he -pardoned^ hut alfo to he received to a State of Favour and in titled to eternal Life ? To which I anfwcr, I . It is true, we need not only a Pardon from theHands of God the fupreme Governour of the World, in whofe Sight, and againil v/hom we have finned •, we need, I fay, not only to be pardoned, delivered from Condemnation, freed from the Curfe of the Law, faved from Hell ; but we want fomething further : We want to be renewed to God's Image, taken into his Family, put among his Chil- drcpi and made Partakers of his everlafling Favour and I^ove. We need not only to be delivered from all t\\o{tEvils^ which are come upon us and which we are expofed unto, thro' our Apoflacy from God -, but we want to be reftored to the Enjoyment of all that Goody which we fhould have had, had we kept the Covenant of our God. 2. It is true alfo, that Mankind,according to theTenour of the firft Covenant, were not to have been confirmed in a State of Holinefs and Plappinefs, were not to have had eternal Life, merely upon the Condition of being innocent, (for fuch was Adam by Creation) but perfect Obedience u> every Precept of the divine Law was required. Rom. 10.5. (7W. 3. 10. The Performance of fuch an Obedience, was that and dijiinguipjed from all Counterfeits. 315 that Right eoufnefs^ which was by Covenant to intitle him to Life. 3. Since the Fall, all Mankind,are deftitutc of thatRigh- teoufnefs^ nor can they attain unto it. Rom. 3. 9 20. 4. But our natural Obligations, to love God with all our Hearts and obey him in every Thing, flill remain. For they are in their own Nature unalterable. They will be for ever the fame, fo long as God remains what he is and we are his Creatures. There was the fame Reafon, there- fore, after the Fall, why we Ihould love and obey God, as ever there was. There was the fame Reafon, therefore, that the Condition of the firft Covenant, fhould be fulfilled, as ever there was. It was reafonable, originally, or God would never have infilled upon it. And therefore it is reafonable now fince our Apoftacy ; and God has the fame Grounds to infill upon it as ever : but we cannot perform it our feives : it was neceflary, therefore, that it Ihould be performed by Chrift our Surety. But perhaps fome may flill fay. When Chrift had fully ftatisff d for all our Sins., and fo opened ' a Way for Believers to he confJxred as entirely free from any Guilt \ why might not the Governour cf the World., now., of his fovereign Goodnefs and Bounty., have b eft owed eternal Life^ without any more to do ? What Need was there for Chrift' to fulfil all Righteoufnefs in our Room ? To which 1 anfwer. When Admn was newly created, he was innocent, free from any Guilt ; and why might not the fupreme Gover- nour of the World, now, without any more to do, have beflowed upon him eternal Life and BleiTednefs, of his mere fovereign Goodnefs ? What need was there, that his everlailing Welfare fhould be entirely fufpended upon the uncertain Condition of his good Behaviour ? Had not God jufl feen how- it turned out with the Angels that fin- ned ? Did he not know that Adam was liable to Sin and undoe himfelf too ? And why would he run any venture a fecond Time ? Efpecially, fince the Happinefs, not only oiAdam., but of all his Race, a whole World of Beings, now lay at Stake ? If he thinks, that if but one Man fhould gain the whole World, and iofe his own Soul, his Lofs would 3i6 True Religion delineated Dis. IL would be infinitely great ; what mufl the everlafling Wel- fare of a whole Race be worth in his Account ? And would infinite Wifdom and infinite Goodnefs venture and hazard all this needlejly ? Yea, would fuch a Being have done fo, had there not been Reafons, of infinite Weighty to move him to it ? fomething of greater Importance, than the eter- nal Welfare of all Mankind ? No doubt, there was fomething, and fomething of very great Importance, that influenced the infinitely wife and good Governour of the "^.Vorld to fuch a Condu6l. Something, fo very greats as to render his Conduct in that Affair, perfedlly holy and wife, perfedly beautiful, excellent and glorious. It does not look like a mere arbitrary Conftitution. It was doubtlefs ordered fo, becaufe God fiw, it was perfectly fit and right and befw. But why was it fit and right and beft ? Whatever the Reafon v/as, doubtlefs for the fame Reafon, it was fit and right and bell, that the fecojid Adam fhould perform the fame Condition, fulfil all Righteoufnefs, to th^ End that by his Obedience we might be made righte- ous, and fo be intitled to Life in this Way. It is certain, that eternal Life and Bleffednefs v/ere not to have been given abfoluteh\ i. e. without any Condition at all, under the fird Covenant. Eternal Life was not to have been granted merely under the Notion of a G///, from ^fovereign Benefa5ior \ but alfo under the Notion of a Re- wardj from the Hands of the moral Governour of the World. PerfedtObedience was theCondition. Bo and live.Kom.io.^, Difobey and die. Gal. 3. 10. This was eftabhflied by the Law of the God of Heaven. Now, the fupreme Governour of the World did this for fome End, or for no End. Not for no End, for that would refiedl upon his Wifdom. Was it for his own Good, or his Creature's Good ? Not for his oxm Good •, for he is Self- fufficient and Independent. Not for his Creature's Good ; for it had been better for them, their Interefl fimply con- fidered, to have had eternal Life and Bleflednefs given ab- folutely and unconditionally ; for then, they would have been at no Uncertainties, not liable to fall into Sin or Mife- ry, but fecure and fafe forever. It remains, therefore, thut^ as moral Governour of the World, he had an Eye to the and diftinguijhed fro7n all Counterfeits. 317 the moral Fitnefs of Things, and fo ordained, becaufe in it felf, in it's own Nature, it was fit and right. But why was it fit and right ? i. e. What Grounds and Reafons were there in the Nature of the Cafe, why the great Governour of the World fliould fufpend the everlaft- ing Welfare of his Creature, Man, upon Condition of his being in mod periedl Subjedlion to himfelf ? i.e. Why fhould he fo much (land upon his own Honour, as to infift: upon thisHomage,at the hazard of hisCreature's everlafting Welfare. — /. e. Why did he look upon his own Honour as a Matter of fo great Importance ? 1 anfwer, that, from the Rectitude of the divine Nature, he is perfedly impar- tial in all his Condud. It was not, therefore, from any Thing like Pride, or a feltifh Spirit, that he flood thus upon his Honour -, the Homage of a Worm of the Duft could do him no Good : nor for want of Goodnefs, that he fet fo light by his Creature's Happinefs : but it was fit he fhould do as he did •, tlie Reditude of his Nature, as it were, ob- liged him to it. For it becomes the Governour of the World, and it belongs to his Office as fuch, to fee to it, that every one has his proper Due •, and therefore it con- cerns him, firfl and above all Things, to afTert and main- tain the Rights of the GOD-HEAD : and this Honour was due to God. He was by Nature God, and Adam was by Nature Man ; he was the Creator, and Adam was his Creature ; he was moral Governour of the World, and Adam was his Sub- jedl : He was by Right Law-giver, and Adam was a free Agent capable of and obliged unto perfed Obedience : He was Judge,to whom it belonged to diilribute Rewards and Punifhments, and Adam was an accountable Creature. Now he only confidered himfelf as being what he was, and his Creature Man as being what he was \ and he was affe6l- ed and adled accordingly. He confidered what Honour was due to him from Man ; what Obligations Man was under to give him his Due •, that he was capable of doing it voluntarily ; that it was fit he fhould ; that it became the Governour of the World to infift upon it ; that if he did not do it with all his Heart, he could not be confidered as a Subjed fit for the divine Favour, but fit only for di- vine 31 8 True Religion delbteated Dis. II. vine Wrath. He thus viewed Things as they were, and a6led accordingly. What he did therefore was perfedlly right and lit. To have had no Regard to his Honour, but only to have confulted his Creature's Welfare, would have been a Conduct like theirs in R.om. 1.21,25. They glorified him not as Gcd. — They "jocrfuippcd and ferved the Creature more than the Creator. * Now, fince the feccnd Adam becomes Surety and ftands refponfible to the Governcur of the World, it was fit he Ihould net only fuffer the Penalty of the broken Law, but obey it's Precepts too, in order to open a Door for us not only to be pardoned, but alfo received to Favour and intit- led to eternal Life. There was the fame Reafon, the fecond Adam fliould do it, as that xhtfirft Ihould. The Honour of God did as much require it. It \vas as needful in order to our being confidered as Subjects fit for the divine Favour and eternal Life. It became the Governcur of the World as much to (land for his Honour, with one, as with the other ; and he had as good Reafon to fufpend the everlafl:- ing Welflire of Mankind upon this Condition, now,as ever. And to have fhcwn no Concern for the divine Honour, altho'God had been openly affronted and defpifed byMan's Apoftacy, but only to have regarded and confulted the Wei- * HowGod's putting /Jam into a State oiTrtal, was confiftent with his aiming merely at his Happinefs as his laji ErJ, I cannot underftand. Sure 1 am, ic muft have been better, unfpeakably better for ^.-/^Wjhis Interefl only confidered, to have been immediately ccnfrmcd \r\ aState of perfe^^ Sufficiency of Chrift^ and of his SatisfaSiion and Merits. I proceed now to confider, 2. What has been done to make Satisfa^ion for Sin^ and. to ctnfwer the Demands of the preceptive Part of the Law \ and. wherein the Sufficiency of the fame conjlfts^ And Y la 322 T^rue Religion delineated Dis. II. In the Fir ft Place, what has been done^ has been already hinted ; and it may be fummed up in a few Words. It comprehends all that Chrift has done and fiiffered^ in his Life and at hisD^^^^. For us he was born •, for us he lived; for us he died : He did all on our Accomit^ being thereunto appointed by his Father. But becaufe his Obedience and Sufferings were moil eminent and remarkable, when, ac- cording to the Command he had received of his Father, he laid down his Life for us and offered himfelf a Sacrifice for our Sins ; and becaufe with a View to this, he became FlejJo^and dwelt among iis\ therefore, theScriptures do more frequently attribute ourRedemption to what was done then. Hence, we are faid to be redeemed by hisBlood. i Pet. 1.18,19. To be juftified by his Blood, Rom. ^. ^. And all fpiritual BlefTings are frequently reprefented as theFruits andEffeds of his Death, G?i\. 3. 13, 14. The Sacrifices of the Old Teftamcnt pointed out this^ as the great Atonement. And to this the Penmen of the New Teftament feem in a fpecial Manner to have their Eyes, as the great Propitiation for Sin. — Thus the firft Adam was to have yielded a perfedl Obedience to the divine Law in every Thing •, but that fpecial Prohibition, touching the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, was in a peculiar Manner to try him, that it might be feen whether he would be in Subjedlion toGod in every Thing. So in the Garden and upon the Crofs,our Saviour's Spirit of Obedience was tried and difcovered,and his Obedience was perfected and his Sufferings compleated: and fo here, in a more eminent Manner, the Law was ho- noured and Juftice fatisfied •, and fo the Door of Mercy opened for a finful, guilty World. But Secondly, As to the Sufficiency of what has been done, to anfwer theEnds propofed ; Let thefe Things be confidered, Ci.) That the Perfon undertaking, as Mediator andRe- deemer, was of fufficient Dignity and Worth. (2.^ That he was fufHciently authorized to adt in fuch a Capacity. (3.) That what he has done is perfe6lly fuited,in it's own Nature, to anfwer all the Ends propofed. O J Jefus Chrift the Mediator between God and Man^ as to his Perfon, was FIT for the mediatorial Office and Work, He aTid dijli7igutjhed fro7n all Counterfeits. 323 He was of fufficient Dignity and Worth -, being by Nature GODy equal with the Father^ the Brightnefs cf his Glory ^ the exprefs Li? age of his Per/on. Phil. 2. Heb. i. He was G^^, ( Joh. I.I.) as well as Man. ( f. 14. ) And therefore his Blood was confidered and valued, as being the Blood cfGcd, (A6t. 20. 2 8. J And hence it is Q2i\\td. precious Blood. {iVtt. I. 18, 19.^ As to his Perlbn, he was equal with God the Father inPoint of Worth andDignity : And it was as much for him to obey and die in the Room of a guilty World, as it would have been, for God the Father himfelf. InPoint of Dignity and Worth, there was none fuperiour to him. He was upon a Level with God the Father. He was his Equal and Fellow. Zech. 13. 7. Awake ^ O Sword., — againji the Man that is my FELLOW. He was as glorious, as honourable, as lovely. He was therefore fit for the Office, able to anfwer all the Ends of God the Governour of the World, of his Holinefs and Juflice, Law andGovernment, and perfedlly to fecure the divine Honour, viewed inr every Point of Light. The infiniteDignity of his Nature asGod, made nim capable of an Obedience of infinite moralExcel- lency •, and capable of making a full Satisfadlion for the infinite Evil ot Sin. He could magnify the Law and make it honourable, in a more illuftrious Manner, than all the Angels in Heaven and Men on Earth put together ; by how much he was more excellent than them all. If the Son of God obeys and dies, it is enough : God and hisLaw are for ever fecure. Thus, his being by Nature GOD, ren- dered him of fufficient Dignity for the Office and Work of a Mediator. Heh. 9. 14. And this it was alfo, which made him capable of under- taking. As he was God^ he was under no Obligations, on his own Account, to obey a Law made for a Creature ; and he had an abfolute Right to himfelf. Every Perfon, that is a me re Creature, is under natural Obligations to perfect Obedience on his own Account ; nor is he his own to dif- pofe of. But the Son of God was above a mere Creature, iie was a divine Perfon, and previous to his Undertaking was under no Obligation to Obedience ; he had an original Right to himfelf, and was not by Nature under the Law ; he was, therefore, at his own Difpofal, and at full Liberty Y t to 324 True Religmt deli?teated Dis. IL CO undertake in ourRoom. He had Power to afllime human Nature,& be made under theLaw for us,& obey for us, and fufFer for us •, for he might do what he would with his own. Job. 10.17,18. — TheSufficiency ofChrift being thus origi- nally founded in his Divinity -, Hence, this is the firftThing theApoftle to thef/f^r^u^j infills upon,incrder to exp]ain,clear up and confirm theSafety of the Way of Salvation thro' his ^\oodi.Heb. i . To clear up & confirm theSafety of theWay of Salvation thro' the Blood of Chiifl, is evidently the Scope and Defign of that Epiftle, as is manifeft from the ten firfl Chapters. Particularly {^z Chapter 10. ^. 19 — 22. And in order to (hew the Safety of this Way, he infifls upon the Excellency of his Perfon, and the Nature of his Office, his being called, appointed and authorized, and his a6tually going thro' the Work of our Redemption : which, toge- ther with fome occafional Exhortations, DigrelTions, &c. is the Subflance of his Difcourfe, from Chap. i. y, i. to Chap. 10. )l\ 23. Thus, as GOD, he was of infinite Dignity and Worth : as GOD, he was at Liberty to undertake. He had an Eftate (if I may fo fpeak) of his own, and could pay the Debt of another with what w^as his own, and purchafe for us an Inheritance. And I may add, that as he was the Son cf God, the fecorid Perfon in the Trinity, there was a Suitablenefs, that he, rather than either of the other Per- fons, fliould be appointed to this Work. The Father fuftains the Charader of fupreme Lord and Governour, afierts the Rights of the God-head, maintains the Honour of his Law and Government. The Son becomes Mediator between God and Man, to open a Door for God to fhew Mercy to Man confiftently with his Honour, and for Man to return to God with Safety. The Holy Spirit is the San(flifter, to work in Sinners to will and to dp, and reco- ver and bring them to repent and return to God thro' Je- fus Chrift. Thus the Gofpel teaches us to believe. Eph. 2. 18. He alfo was made FIcJJj and dwelt among us, and for our fakes was made under the Law •, to the End, that in our Nature he might fulfil all Right eoufncfs, and hear the Curfe. As he was one witjli the Father y he v.^as fit to be betrufted with and di/li7tguijhed from all Counterfeits. 325 with his Father* s Honour. As he was Immamel, God with us, he was fit to be betruiled with our Salvation. As he was God-Man^ he was fit to be Mediator between God and Man. His Humanity rendered him capable to appear in the Form of a Servant^ and to become obedient unto Death : and his Divinity rendred his Obedience and Sufferings fuf- ficient to anfwer the Ends defigned. This is He of whom the Text fpeaks, God fo loved the Worlds that he gave his only begotten Son. He gave him, he appointed him to the Work, he put him into the OfHce, he anointed him, and then he laid on him the Iniquities of us all, and fet him forth to be a Propitiation. Which brings me to confider, (2.) That he was ftifficiently authorized to be a Mediator ■ betiveen God and Man ; to take the Place of Sinners, and to obey and die in the Room of a guilty World. — God the fupreme Governour of the World had fufHcient Power and Authority to appoint theory? ^i<:?;^ to be a Reprelentativc for his Poflerity, to a6: in their Room : and by the fame Authority he has appointed his Son, the fecond Adam, to be a fecond publick Head. Rom. 5. 12 — 19. By divine Conflitution, the firfl Adam was made a publick Perfon ; and by divine Conftitution, x}^z fecond Adam is made fuch too. Both receive all their Authority to act in that Capa- city from the Conftitution of God. — The calling, appoint- iog and authorizing of Chrift, to take upon him this Office and Work of a Mediator and high Prieft, is particularly treated of in the fifth Chapter to the Hebrews, He was called of God, as was Aaron, ver. 4. He took not this high Office upon himfelf, but was inverted with it by his Father, f, 5. .He was called of God an high Priefl after the Order of Melchifedek, f. lo. His Father propofed the Office and the Work ; and he willingly undertook. Lo, I come to do thy Will, O God. Heb. 10. 7. God fo loved the World, that he GAVE his only begotten Son, Joh. 3. x6. And hence Chrift fays. He did not come of himfelf, but was fent of his Father, Joh. 7. 28, 29. And that "he did not comi^ to do his own Will, hut the Will of him that fent him, Joh. 6. 38. And his Father acknowledges him as fuch by a Voic« from Heaven. Mat. 17.5. This is my beloved Son, in whom lam well pkafed\ hear ye him, Y 3 W^ithoui 326 l^rue Religion delineated Dis. II. Without fuch a divine Conflitution, the Death of Chrift could have been of no Benefit to Mankind. As, if an in- nocent Man fhould offer to die in the Room of a condem- ned Criminal, and Ihould aclually lay down his Life \ yet it could be of no Benefit to the poor Criminal, unlefs the civil Government had authorized him fo to do. /. e. unlefs, by fome a6l, they had declared, that his Life iliould be ac- cepted, in the Eye of the Law, inftead of the Criminal's. The Application is eafy. — ^ Thus Chrift was called and put into his mediatoral Office and authorized to the Work, by God the fupreme Governour of the World. And hence in Allufion to the Jewijh Cuftom of anointing Men, when advanced to fomc high Office and important Truft •, ( fo Aaron was anointed Prieft, and David was anointed King : } In Allufion, I fay, to this, he is called CHRISTy which is by Interpretation, the ANOINTED, Thus, as to hisPer- fonal Dignity, he v/as fufficient to undertake ^ and thus, was he authorized to do fo. And (3.) What he has done is perfe5ily fuited, in its ownNature^ to anfwer all the Ends propofed. That is, to fecure theHo- nour of God, the Honour of his Holinefs, Juftice and Truth, his Law, Governmelft and facred Authority ; and fo open a Door for the free and honourable Exercife of his Mercy and Grace towards a finful, guilty World, and a V/ay in v/hich Sinners might return to God with divine Ac- ceptance. God the fupreme Governour of theWorld knew upon what Grounds there w^asNeed of a Mediator, what Ends he had to anfwer, and how they might be anfwered in the beft Manner. According to the Counfcl of his own Will, in his infinite Wifdom, he laid the very Plan, which is now revealed to us in the Gofpel. He appointed one to be aMediator whom he judged fit, put him into theOffice, and appointed him his Work. All this Work JefusChrift has done. He has finijhed the IVork, ivhich the Father gave him to do. Joh. 17. 4. & 19. 30. And fo has b^tn faithful to hint that appointed him. Heb. 3.2. So that herefrom we might be afifured, that what he has done, is moft perfedly fuited in it*s own Nature to anfwer all the Ends propofed, altho' it were quite beyond us to underftand how. — But,by the Help of the Word and Spirit of God, we may be able to and dtliinguiped from all Counterfeits 327 to enter a little Way into this wonderful and glorious Myftery. It was fit, the/r// Adam^ as the Reprefentative and pub- lick Head of Mankind, Ihould, as a Condition of the ever- lafling Love and Favour of God, have continued in a moft willing and perfed Subjedlion to God the Governour of the World, valuing his Honour and Glory above all Things. This was God's Due. This would have fatisfied God's Holinefs : for Holinefs is fatisfied, when the Thing which is right and fit is done. Holinefs wants no more \ but is then content and well-pleafed. And upon this Condition, Mankind might have been confidered, as Subjeds fit for the divine Favour ; and might have received the promifed Reward, to the Honour of the divine Holinefs and Good- nefs. Now Jefus Chrift the Son of God has, by his Father's Appointment and Approbation, alTumed our Na- ture, taken Adam's Place, done that which was Adam's Duty in our Room and Stead, as another publick Head, obeyed the Law God gave his Creature, a Law which he was not under, but in Confequence of his undertaking to Hand in our Room and Stead. The Creature fails of pay- ing that Honour to the Governour of the World, which is his Due from the Creature. A GOD lays afide his Glory, appears in the Form of a Servant, and becomes Obedient i and fo, in the Creature's Stead and Behalf, pays that Ho- nour to the Governour of the World, which was the Crea- ture's Duty. And thus the Governour of the World is confidered, refpedted, treated and honoured, as being what he is, by Man, i. e. by their Reprefentative Chrift Jefus, God-Man-Mediator. And now, hereby God's Right to the Obedience of his Creatures, and their Unworthinefs of his Favour upon any other Condition, arc publickly owned and acknowledged : the Debt is owned, and tiie Debt is paid by the Son of God ; and fo Holinefs is fatis- fied : for Holinefs is fatisfied, when the Thing that is right and fit is done. And now this Door being opened, Man- kind may thro' Chrifl be confidered as Subjects to whom God may fhew Favour confiftent with his Honour. Yea, the divine Holinefs may be honoured, by granting all Fa- vours, as a Reward to Chrifl's Virtue and Obedience, Y 4 AQ^-iti, 328 True Religion delineated Dis. II. Again, it was (it, if any intclligentCreature Hiou'd at any Time fwcrve at all from the perfe6l Will ol God, that he fhould for ever lofe his Favour, and fall under his everlaft- ing Difpleafure, for a Thing lb iniinitely Wrong. And in fuch a Cafe, it was fit the Governour of the World fliould be infinitely difpleafed, and publickly teftify his infinite Difpleafure, by a Punifhment adequate thereto,infli6led on the finningCreature. This would fatisfy Juftice : forjuflice is fatisfied, when the Thing which is wrong, is puniflied according to it's Defert. Hence, it was lit, when, by a Conilitution holy, jufl and good, Adam was made a public Head, to reprefent his Race, and a6l not only for himfelf, but for all his Pofterity -, it was fit, I fay, that he and all his Race, for his firft Tranfgreflion, ihould lofe the Favour, and fall under the everiafting Difpleafure, of the Almighty. It was fit, that God fhould be inRniteiy difpleafed at fo abominable a Thing •, and that as Governour of the World he fhould publickly bear Teftimony againfl it, as an infi- nite Evil, by inflicting the infinite Punifhment the Law: threatned, i. e. by damning the whole World. This would have fatisfied Juflice : tor Juilice is fatisfied when Juftice takes Place, when the guilty are treated with that Severity they ought to be, when Sin is punilhed, as being what it is. — Now, Jefus Chrift the Son of God has, by his Father's Appointment and Approbation, afTumed our Na- ture, taken- the Place of a guilty World •, and had not only Adamh lirft Tranfgreflion, but the Iniquities of us all laid upon him ; and in our Room and Stead has fuiiered the Wrath of God, the Curie of the Law, offering up himfelf a Sacrifice to God for the Sins of Men. And hereby the infinite Evil of Sin, and the Righteouiiiefs of the Law, are publickly owned and acknowledged, and the deferved Punifhment voluntarily fubmittcd unco by Man, ie. by their Reprefcnrativc. And thus Juflice is fatisfied : For Juflice is fatisfied, when Juflice takes Place. And Sin is now treated as being what it is, as much as if God had danjned the whole World ; and God, as Governour, ap- pears as-fevere againfl it. And thus the Righteoufnefs of (rod is declared and manifeiled, by ChriiVs being fet forth to be a l^n;pitiation for Sin ; and he may now be juft, and^ V*^: \\xi^'\['-; hirn that believes in Jefus. By and dtfiinguijhed from alt Counterfeits. 329 By all this, the Law is magnified and made honourable. On the one Hand •, were any in all God's Dominions temp- ted to think, that the great Governour of the World had dealt too fcverely with Man, in fufpending his evcrlafting Welfare upon the Condition of perfe6l Obedience ? God pradlically anfwers,and fays, " I did as well by Mankind, " as I fhould defire to have been done by, my felf ; had I " been in their Cafe, and they in mine. For when my Son, " who is as my feif, came to ftand in their Stead, I required " the fame Condition of him." And what the Father fays, the Son confirms. He pra6tically owns the Law to be holy, juft and good, and the Debt to be due, and pays it moft willingly to the laft Mite, without any Objedion. Which was as if he had faid, "There v/as all the Reafon in " the World, that the everlafting Welfare of Mankind " fhould be fufpended on that Condition -, nor could I " have defired it to have been otherwife, had 1 my felf " been in their Cafe." On the other Hand •, were any tempted to think, that God had been too fevere in threat- ning everlafting Damnation for Sin ? Here this Point is alfo cleared up. God the Father pra6lically fays, that he did, as he would have been done by, had he been in their Cafe, and they in his. For when his Son, his fecond Self, comes to ftand in their Place -, he abates nothing, but ap- pears as great an Enemy to Sin, in his Conduct, as if he had damned the whole World. His Son alfo owns the Sentence juft. He takes the Cup and drinks it off. Con- fidering the infinite Dignity of his Perfon, his Sufferings were equivalent, to the eternal Damnation of fuch Worms as we. Thus the Law is magnified and made honourable ; and at the fame Time the Honour of God's Government & f^- cred Authority is fecured. And I may add, fo is alfo the Honour of his Truth : for he has been true to his Threat- ning. In the Bay thou eat eft thereof, thou jhalt furely die : For on that very Day the fecond Adam virtually laid down his Life in the Room and Stead of a guilty World. He is the Lamb ftain from the Foundation of the World. — So that now there is no Room left, for thofe that will view Things impartially, to have undue Thoughts of the Governour of the 3 3 o True Religion delineated Di s . II. the World •, nor any Thing done to expofe his Govern- ment to Reproach, or his Authority to Contempt. The Honour of the divine Government and Authority appears as facred and tremendous, as if he had damned the whole World. And altho' Smners will take Occafion to fin and be encouraged in their Ways, becaufe Grace abounds ; yet the Governour of the World has not given the Oc- cafion. In his Condudl, the whole of it confidered, he appears as fevere againft Sin, as if he had damned the whole World, without any Mixture of the lead Mercy. The infinite Dignity of his Son caufes that thofe Suffer- ings he bore in our Room, are as bright a Difplay of the divine Holinefs and Jufticc, as if all the human Race had for their Sin been call into the Lake of Fire & Brimflane \ and the Smoke of their Torments afcended for ever and ever. Moreover, By all this, a Way is opened for the free and honourable Excrcife of Mercy and Grace towards a finful, guilty World. It may be done confidently with the Honour of God, of his Holinefs and Juftice, his Law and Government, his Truth and facred Authority : tor the Honour of all thcfe is effedtually fecured. — It may be done to the Honour of divine Grace : for now it appears, that God did not pity the World under a Notion that they had been by him feverely and hardly dealt with, nor under a Notion it would have been too fevere to have proceeded againft them according to Law. The Law is not made void, but eftablifhed. No Refleflions are caft upon the divine Government. And Grace appears to be free, taking its Rife, not from any Thing in us, but merely from felf- moving Goodnefs and fovereign Mercy. — This Way of Salvation is fuited to fet off the Grace of God to Advantage, and make it appear to be what it is. Having thus finilhed the Work afligned him ; he arofe from the Dead, he afcended on high, he entrcd into the Holy of Holies, into Heaven it felf, to appear in the Pre- fence of God for us, as our great high Prieft. Heh. 9. And here as God-Man Mediator he is exalted to the higheftHo- nour, has a Name above every Name, fits on the right Hand of the Majefty on high, having all Power in Heaven and and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 331 and Earth committed unto him, and ever lives to make Interceflion, and is able to fave to the uttermoft all that come to God thro' him> — Such is the Virtue of his Righte- oufnefs and Blood, and fuch is his Honour and Intereft in the Court of Heaven^ and fuch is his Faithfulnefs to all that believe in him -, that now it is perfe(Stly fafe, to return to God thro' him, and venture our everlafting ALL upon his Worth and Merits, Mediation and Interceflion. Heb.4.16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of Grace, Thus we fee what Neceflity there was of Satisfaction for Sin, and that the Demands of the Law fhould be anfwered: And thus we fee what has been done for thefc Purpofes, and it's Sufficiency to anfwcr all the Ends propofed. The Mediator was of fufficient Dignity as to his Perfon, he had fufficient Authority as to his Office, and he has faithfully done his Work. And now the Honour of God's Holinefs and Juftice, Law and Government and facredAuthority, is fecured •, and a Way is opened in which he may honoura- bly put his Defigns of Mercy into Execution, and Sinners fafely return unto him. And now, before I proceed to confider more particularly what a Way is opened, and what Methods God has entered upon for the Recovery of finful, guilty Creatures to himfelf, I fliall make a few Remarks upon what has been faid. Remark i. As the Law is a 'Tranfcript of the divineNa- ture^ fo alfo is the GofpeL The Law is holy, juft and good, and is as it were the Image of the Holinefs, Juftice and Goodnefs of God ; and fo alfo is the Gofpel. TheLaw in- fifts upon God's Honour from the Creature, and ordains that his everlafting Welfare fhall be fufpended upon that Condition ; and the Gofpel fays Amen to it. TheLaw infifts upon it, that it is an infinite Evil for the Creature to fwerve in the leaft from the moft perfedl Will of God, and that it deferves an infinite Punifhment ; and the Gofpel fays Amen to it. TheLaw difcovered alfo the infiniteGood- nefs of God, in it's being fuited to make the obedient Creature perfeftly happy -, but the Gofpel ftill more abun- dantly difplays the infinite Goodnefs and wonderful free Grace of God. The Law was holy, juft and good, and the Iifiage of God's Holinfefs, Juftice and Goodnefs 5 but the 332 True Religion delineated Dis. II, the Gofpel is more eminently {o : In it the Holinefs, Juf- tice and Goodnefs of God are painted more to the Life, in a Manner truly furprizing, and beyond ourComprehenfion -, yea, to the Amazement of Angels, who defire to look and pry into this wonderful Contrivance, i Feti i. 12. Here in this Glafs the Glory of the Lord is to be beheld. 2 Cor. 3.18. The Glory of God is to be feen in the Face of Chnft. 2 Cor. 4. 6. What has been by him done in this Affair difcovers the glorious moral Beauty of the divine Nature. Much of God is to be feen in the moral Law, ic is his Image •, but more of God is to be feen in the Gofpel, for herein his Image is exhibited more to the Life, more clearly and confpicuoufiy. The moral Excellency of the moral Law fufficiently evi- dences, that it is fromGod •, it is fo much like God,that it is evident that it is from God : So the moral Excellency of the Gofpel fafFiciently evidences that it is from God ; it is fo much like him., that it is evident that it is from him : It is his very Image : therefore it is hisOffspring : it is aCopy of his moral Perfe6tions, and they are the Original. It is fo much like God, that it is perfe6tly to his Mind, he is pleafed with it, he delights to faveSinners in thisWay. And if ever this Gofpel becomes the Povvercf God to our Salva- tion, it will make us like unto God, it w^ill transform us in- to his Image, and we fhall be pleafed with this Way of Salvation, and delight to be faved in fuch a Way ; a Way wherein God is honoured, the Sinner humbled, the Law eftabliflied, Sin difcountenanced, Boafting excluded, and Grace glorified. If any Man has a Tafte for moral Excellency, a Heart to account God glorious for being what he is ; he cannot but fee the moral Excellency of the Law, and love it, and con- form to it •, becaufe it is the Image of God: and fo he can- not but fee the mpral Excellency of the Gofpel, and believe it, and love it, and comply with it -, for it is alfo the Image of God. He that can fee the moral.Beauty of theOriginal, cannot but fee the moral Beauty of the Image drawn to the Life. He therefore that defpifes theGofpel, and is anEnc- my to the Law j even he is at Enmity againft God him- felff Rem, S. 7, Ignorance of the Glory of God & Enpiity againll and dijl'mguijhedfrofh all Counterfeits. 333 againft him, makes Men ignorant of the Glory of the Law and of the Gofpel, and Enemies to both. Did Men know and love him that begat ^ they zvotild love that which is begotten cf him. i Joh. 5. i. He that is of GcclJ:>earethGcd's fp^ords ; ye therefore hear them nct^ becatifeye are not of God. Joh. 8. 47- And therefore a genuine CcmpHance with the Gofpel fuppofes, that i>^, u ho commanded the Light to fhine out of Barknefs^ fJAnes in the Hearty to give the Light of the Know- ledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jefus Chrifi, 2 Cor. 4, 6. And a Sight and Senfe of the moral Excellency of the Gofpel- Way of Salvation alTures the Heart of it's Divi- nity •, and hereby a fupernatural and divine AfTent to the Truth of the Gofpel is begotten in the Heart. And a Senfe of the infinite Dignity of the Mediator, and that he was fent of God, and that he has finifned the Work which was given him to do, and fo opened and confecrated a new anji living Way of accefs to God -, together with a Senfe of the full and free Invitation, to Sinners to return to God in this Way, given in the Gofpel, and thefreeGrace of God there- in difcovered, and his Readinefs to be reconciled -, a fpiri- tual Sight and Senfe of thefe Things, I fay, emboldens the Heart of a humbled Sinner to truft in Chrifi, and to re- turn to God thro' him. Hence the Apoile to \\\tHebrewSj having gone thro' this Subjed in a dodrinal Way, in the Conclusion makes this pradical Inference. Having there- fore^ Brethren^ Boldnefs to enter into the Holiefl by the Blood of Jefus, by a new and living Way which he hath confecrated for us, thro' the Fail, that is to fay, his Flefh *, and having a high Priefi over the Houfe of God, let us draw near with a true Heart and full Affiirance of Faith, Heb. 10. 1 9 — 2 2 . Rem. 2. From what has been faid, we may obferve,that the NecciTity of Satisfadlion for Sin and of the preceptive Part of the Law being anfwered, takes it's Rife from the moral Perfedlions of the divine Nature, and the moral Fit- nefs of Things -, and therefore a true Idea of God and a juft Senfe of the moralFitnefs of Things will naturally lead us to fee the Neceffity of Satisfadion for Sin, &c. and pre- difpofe us to underftand and believe what is held forth by divine Revelation to that Purpofe. Oa the otiier Hand, •' where 334 True Religion delineated Dis. IL where a true Idea, of the moral Perfedlions of God and the moral Fitnefs of Things, is not ; but on the contrary ,very wrong Notions of the divine Being and of the true Nature of Things -, there will naturally be an Indifpofition and an Averfion to fuch Principles, nor will what the Gofpel teaches about them be readily underftood or believed. And doubtlefs it was. this which originally led feme to deny the Neceflity of Satisfaftion for Sin, and others to go a Step farther, to deny thatChrift everdefigned to make any. Joh. 8. 47. He that is of Go d^ heareth God's fFcrds -, ye therefore hear them not^ hecaufe ye are not of God. Rem. 3. The Death of Chrift was not dcfigned at all to take away the evil Nature of Sin, or it's ill Defert ^ for Sin is unalterably v/hat it is, and cannot be made a lefs Evil : But the Death of Chrift was rather on the contrary, to ac- knowledge and manifeft the evil Nature and ill Defert of Sin, to the End that pardoning Mercy might not make it feem to be a lefs Evil than it really is. So that altho'God may freely pardon all our Sins and entitle us to eternal Life for Chrift's Sake ; yet, he does look upon us, confidered merely as in our felves, to be as much to blame as ever,and to deferve Hell as much as ever -, and therefore we are al- ways to look upon our felves fo too. And hence we ought always to live under a Senfe of the Freenefs and Riches of God'sGrace in pardonmg ourSins -, & under aSenfe of our own Vilenefs and ill Defert, in our felves, upon the Ac- count of them, altho' pardon'd. 'That thou mayfi remember and he confounded^ and ne^uer open thy Mouth any more hecaufe cf thy Shame J when I am pacified toward thee for all that thcu haft done^ faith the Lord God. Ezek. 16. 63. But this is iTot the Way of Hypocrites : For being once confident that their Sins are pardoned, their Shame, Sorrow and Abafement aj-e foon at an End. And having no Fear of Hell, they have but little Senfe of Sin. And from the Doc- trine of free Grace, they are emboldened, as it were, to fin upon free Coft. But thus faith the Lord, V/hen I fballfay to the Righteous^ that he fhall furely live : If he trufl to his own Righteoufnefs and commit Iniquity ; all his Righteoufnefs fhall not he remembered^ but ] or his Iniquity that he hath com- mit ted^ he fhall die for it. Ezek. 33. i.j. RtM. and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 335 Rem. 4. Nor was the Death of Chrlfl: defigned to draw forth the Pity of God towards a guilty World. For God could find it in his Heart, of his mere Goodnefs, without any Motive from without, to give his only begotten Son to die for Sinners. But this was greater Goodnefs, than it would have been to have laved Mankind by an A6t of fovereign Grace without any Mediator : it was a more expenfive Way. As, for an earthly Sovereign to give his only Son to die for a Traitor, that the Traitor might live, would be a greater A(5l of Goodnefs, than to pardon the Traitor, of mere Sovereignty. It was not therefore becaufe the Goodnefs of the divine Nature needed any Motive to draw it forth into Exercife, that Jefus Chrift obeyed and died in our Room : But it was to anfwer the Ends of mqral Government, and to fecure the Honour of the moral Governour ; and fo open a Way for the honourable Exercife of the divine Goodnefs, which, in its own Nature, is infinite, free and felf-moving, and wants no Motive from without to draw it forth into A6t. And the fame, no doubt, may be faid of Chrift's InterceJJion in Heaven. We are therefore, in our approaches to God, not to look to Chrift to perfuade the Father to pity and pardon us, as tho' he was not wiUing to fhew Mercy of his own Accord : but we are to look to Chrift and go to God thro' him for all we want, under a Senfe that we are in our felves too bad to be pitied without fome fufficient Salvo to the divine Honour, or to have any Mercy fhewn us. And therefore when we look to be juftified by free Grace^ it muft be only thro' the Redemption that is in Jefus Chrift ; who has been fet forth to he a Propitiation for Sin^ to declare God's Right eoufnefs^ that he might be jujl^ and the Jujiifier of him that believeth in Jefus, Rom. 3.24,25,26. Rem. 5. Some of the peculiar Principles of the Antino- mians^ feem to take their Rife from wrong Notions of the Nature of Satisfadion for Sin. They feem to have no right Notions of the moral Perfections of God, and of the natural Obligations we are under to him, nor any right Apprehenfions of the Nature and Ends of moral Govern- ment, nor any Ideas of the Grounds, Nature and Ends of •Satisfadion for Sin. ( A right Senfe of v/hich Things tends powerfully 3 3 6 True Religion delineated D i s . 11. powerfully to promote a holy Fear and reverential Awe of the dread Majelly of Heaven and Earth, a Scnfe of the infinite Evil of Sin, brokcnnefs of Heart, tendernefs of Confcience, a humble, holy, watchful, prayerful Temper and Life, as well as to prepare the Way icTFaith in the Blood of Chrift.) But they feem to have no right Appre- henfions of thefe Things. They feem to confider God merely under the Notion of a Creditor^ and us merely under the Notion of Debtors ; and to fuppofe, when Chrift upon the Crofs faid, // is finijhed^ he then paid the whole Debt of theEle6l,and faw theBook croft, whereby all their Sins were a^lually blotted out and forgiven : and now all that re- mains, is for the holy Spirit immediately to reveal it to one and another, that he is eleded, and fo for him Chrift died, and fo his Sins are all pardoned \ whigh Revelation he is firmly to believe, and never again to doubt of : and this they call Faith, From which it feems they underftand nothing rightly about God or Chrift, the Law or Gofpel. For nothing is more evident than that God is in Scripture confidcred as righteous Govermur of the World, and we as Criminals guilty before him ; and the evident Defign of Chrifb's Death was, to be a Proptiatic7t for Sin, to declare and manifeft God's Righteouinefs,that he might be juft, and thejuftifier of him that believeth in Jefus. Rom. 3. 9 — 26. And the Gofpel knows nothing about a Sinner's being juftified in any other Way than i^y Faith, and by Confe- quence in order of Nature not till after Faith. The Gofpel knows nothing about Satisfa6tion for Sin in their Senfe ; but every where teaches that the Ele^, as well as others, are equally under Condemnation and the Wrath of God, yea, are Children of Wrath while Unbelievers. J oh. 3. 18,36. Efh. 2. 3. A^. 3. 19. Again, While they confider God merely under the Cha- racter of a Creditor, and us merely as Debtors, and Chrift as paying the whole Debt of the Eled: ; now bccaufe Chrift obeyed the Law, as well as fufFered it*s Penalty, therefore they feem to think, that Chrift has done all their Duty, fo as that now they have none to do, nothing to do but firmly to believe that Chrift has done all. They have nothing to do with the Law, no, not fo much as to be their Rule to live and diftinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 337 live by ; but are fet at full Liberty from all Obligations to any Duty whatfoever. — Not underftanding, thdilChrift gave himfelf^ to redeftn his People frorri all Iniquity ^and purify them to himfelf-, a^peculiar People, zealous of good IVorks^ Tit. 2. 14. And not underftanding,that our natural Obligations to per- fe6l Obedience are not capable of being diflblved. Mat, 5. 17. And net underftanding, that our Obligations to all holy living, are mightily increafed by the Grace of the Golpel. Rom. 12. i. Indeed they feem to underftand no- thing rightly, but to view every thing in a wrong Light. And inftead of confidering Chrift as a Friend to Holinefs, as one that loves Right eoufnefs and hates Iniquity y Heb.i. 9. they make him a Minifter of Sin^ Gal. 2.17. and turn the Grace of God into Wantonnefs. All their Notions tend to render their Confciences infenfible of the Evil of Sin, to cherilh fpiritual Pride and carnal Security, and to open a Door to all Ungodlinefs. Section V. Shewing^ a Door of Mercy is opened by yeftis Chriji for a guilty World. I come now to another Thing propofed, viz, III. To fhew more particularly what a Way to Life has leen opened, hy what Chriji our Mediator has done l£ fuffered. In general ; from what has been faid, we may fee that the mighty Bar which lay in the Way of Mercy, is remov- ed by Jefus Chriil : and now a Door is opened, and a Way provided, v/herein the great Governour of theW^orld may, confiftent with the Honour of his Holinefs and Juftice, his Law and Government and facred Authority, and to the Glory of his Grace, put in Execution all his Defigns of Mercy towards a finful, guilty, undone World. But to be more particular, ,. (i.) A Way is opened, wherein the great Governour of the World mayy ionfifient with his Honour and to the Glory of his Grace, pardon and receive to Favour and intitle to eternal Life ^ alkf^i-^very-one of the human Race, who Jhall cordially fall in with the Gofpel-Deftgn^ hlieve in ChriJl^ and return home to G^ thro' him, Z What 338 True Religion delineated Dis. II. What Chrift has done is in Fad fufficient^ to open a Door for God thro' him to become recondlcMe to the whole World. The Sufferings of Chrift, all Things confidcred, have as much difplayed God's hatred of Sin, and as much fecured the Honour of his Law, as if the whole World had been damned ; as none will deny, who believe the infi- nite Dignity of his divine Nature. God may now therefore thro' Jefus Chrift ftand ready to pardon the whole World. There is nothing in the Way. — And the Obedience of Chrift has brought as much Honour to God and to his Law, as the perfect Obedience of Adam and of all his Race would have done. The Rights of the God^head are as much aflerted and maintained. So that there is nothing in the Way, but that Mankind may, thro' Chrift, be received in- to full Favour, and intitled to eternal Life. God may ftand ready to do it, confiftent with his Honour. What Chrift has done is every Way fufficient. Mat. 22.4. All things are now ready. And God has exprefly declared, that it was the Deftgn of Chrift's Death, to open this Door of Mercy to alL Joh. 3. 16. God fo loved the fVORLD^ that he gave his only be- gotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him jhould not ferijh, but have everlafting Life. That whofoever o\ah Man- kind, whether Jew or Greek, Bond or Free, Rich or Poor, without any Exception, tho' the Chief of Sinners, that Re- lieves, Jhould be faved. For thisjE;?i,God gave his only be- gotten Son. He fet him forth to be a Propitiation for Sin, that he might be jufl,' and the Jufiifier of him ( without ^ny Exception, let him be who he will, ) that believeth in Jefus. Rom. 3. 25,26. Hence, the Apoftles received an univerfal Commiflion. Matt. 28.19. Go, teach ALL NATIONS. Mar. 16. 15,16. Go ye into ALL the World, and preach theGofpelto EVERT CREATURE. Accordingly,the Apoftles proclaimed the News of Pardon and Peace to every one, offered Mercy to all without Exception, and invited all without Diftindlion. He that believeth fhall be faved : Repent and be Converted^ that your Sins may be blotted out : Were Declarations they made to all in general. To the Jewijh Nation they were ftnt to favj in the Name of the King of Heaven, I have prepared and dijiinguij}:ed from all Count erfeits. 339 prepared my Dinner : My Oxen and my Fallings are killed^aitd all Things are ready : Come unto the Marriage. Matt. 22.4. And as to the G>;?//7 innrely their own Fault that they did not accept, and they and dijltnguijhed fro7n all Counterfeits. 355 they deferved to be treated accordingly : Mat, 22. Ob J. 7. But ifGodfo loved the World, the WHOLE WORLD, as to give his on'y begotten Son to die for them, in the Senfe explained ; why does he not go thro\ and perfe^f the Work, andfave the WHOLE WORLD ? accordi?ig to that in Rom. 8.32. He that Ipared not his own Son, but deli- vered him up for us all, how Ihall he not with him alfo freely give us all Things ? Ans. 1. And why did not the King in Matth. 22. wh<^ had made a Marriage for his Son, and fent his Servants to fay to them that v/ere bidden, / have prepared my Dinner -\ my Oxen and my Failings are killed, and all things are ready : Come unto thejCfaniage : Why did nottheKing, I fay, when they refufed, Compel them to come in ? Since he had done fo much, why did not he go thro% and finiHi the Work I And this is diredly to the Point in Fland, becaufe this Pa- rable is defigned to reprefent that full Provifion which is made for the Salvation of Sinners by the Death of Chrift ; and it proves that the Objedlion has no Force in it. But farther, 2. Take your Bible and read from the 28 th Verfe to the end of that 8th Chapter cf Romans, and you will fee what the Apoftle's Defign is, thro' his whole Difcourfe. «= We know," fays he, " that all Things work together " for Good to them that love God, to them who are called " according to his Purpofe. But how do v/e know it ? " Why, becaufe God is fully determined to bring them to " Glory at laft. For whom he did foreknow, he alfo did " predeftinate •, and v/Jiom he did predeftinate, them he " alfo called, and them he juftified, and them he glorified. " And God was fo fully determined to brmg them to " Glory, and fo much engaged in the Thing, that he " fpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all ; " i.e. US, who love God and are his eledlPeople." CFor it is of thefe and thefeonly that he here is fpeaking.) " And " fmce he was fo much engaged as to do this, we may de- " pend upon it that he will alfo freely give us all Things ;, " i. e. US, who love God and are his eledt People. So ** that never any Thing fliall hinder our being finally A a 2 " brought 356 iCrtte Religion delineated Dis. IL *• brought to Glory, or feparate us from the Love of God, *' neither Tribulation, nor Perfecution, nor Diflrefs, nor *' any Thing clfe." So that this is theApoflle'sArgument : SinceGod was fo much engaged to bring them toGlory who loved God and were his oXtdi People, as that he had given his own Son to die for that End \ they therefore might have the flrongeft Afiurance, that he would do every Thing elfc which would be needful effe6lually to bring it about. * But God never defigned to bring the Non-Eled to Glory, when he gave his Son to die for the World. He defigned to declare himfelf reconcilable to them thro' Chrifl,to offer Mercy, to invite them in common with others to return, and to afTure all that he that helieveth Jhall he faved^ and to ufe Means with them more or lefs accordmg to his Plea- fure ; but finally, they being obllinate, he defigned to leave them to themfelves, to take their own Courfe •, and in the End to deal with them according to their Deferts. Mat. 23- 37» 3S. and 22. i — 7. And this being the Cafe, the Objection from the ApoMe's Words is evidently groundlefs. As to the Opinion of the Arminians^ that God equally defigned Salvation for all Men, purpofing to offer Salvation to all, and ufe Means with all, and leave all to their own Free-Will, and fave thofe and thole oniy,who of their own Accord will beconie good Men \ as for this Opinion, I fay, I think they never learnt it from the Bible : But rather, they feem to have been led into it, from a Notion that Mankind are fo good natured, that all might, and that at leail feme actually would, under the Enjoyment of the common Means of Grace, become good Men, of their own Accord, i. e. without any fuch lliing as fpedal Grace. Convince them that this is an Error, and they will foon g've * If we leave God's Deftgn out of the Apoftle's Argument, I cannot fee that his Reafoning would be conclufive ; any more than a like Argument would have been conclufive, if we fhould fuppofe Mofes to have ufed it with the IirocUtes at the Side of the red Sea. " Since " God has now brought you all out of Bgyp, and thus divided the " 7cd Sea before you, and drowned your, Enemies ; therefore he will . '*now- without fail bring you All to the promifcd Land." Which Re:- Toning would not have been conclufive ; for the Body of that Gene- ration died in the-'Wildernefs, and that in a very awful Manner, noc- >.'i:brtandin2 this silorioiis I)?i;vei-3ncc, and diliinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 357 crive up their Scheme, and acknowledge the Need of fove- fei<^n Grace, and fee the Reafonablencfs and Truth of the Dodrme of Ekaion. Or rather, I may fay, con- vince them firft of all, what God is, and what the Law is, and what the Nature of true Religion is -, that they may know, what Converfion means, and what it means to be a good Man : and there will be no Difficulty then to con- vince them of theDepravity of Mankind. For what leads them to think it fo eafy a Thing to become a good Man, and that Men may be brought to it merely by the force ot moral Suafion, is, their wrong Idea of the Nature of true Religion. If Religion be what they fuppofe, then no Doubt any Body may eafily become good, for corrupt Nature can bear with fuch aReligion. But if Religion, or a Conformity to God'sLaw, be, what I have endeavoured to prove it to be in the former Difcourfe, then no Doubt Man- kind are naturally diametrically oppofite thereto in the Temper of their Minds : even all Mankind, Arminians as well as others. And all do, or might know it, if they would feriouQy and honeftly weigh the Matter -, for it is plain Fad. The Arminians are wont mightily to cry up ■Works,and plead for the moral Law, as tho' they were oreat Friends to it : but if their Miftakes about the moral Law might once be rediEed, and they be brought really and heartily to approve it, as holyjuft and good •, one prin- cipal Source of all their Errors would be dried up : and particularly, their wrong Notions about Ele5iion and uni-^ verfal Redemption. ^r- c, « But where was there any Love," Cwill the Objeaor « fayj inGod's giving his Son to die for the Non-EledjOr " Sincerity in his offering themMercy -, if he never defigned " to bring them to Glory, but from Eternity intended t* ^' leave them to perifh in th^ir Sins ?" And where was there any Love ( I anfwer ) in God s bringing the Ifraelites out oi Egypt, or Sincerity in his offer- ing to bring them to Canaan •, if he never defigned even- tually to bring them there, but from Eternity intended to leave them to murmuii and rebel, and to have their Car- cafes fall in the Wildernefs f —The Solution in both Caies i§ the fame, i^nd is pUinly this s as it wa§ the Ifraelites o^\n A 4 3 F^^^^^^ 358 True Religion delineated D i s . II. Fault that they did not come to Canaan at lad, fo it is the Sinner's own Fault that he finally falls fliort of Glory : However, the Ifraelites were often in a Rage, and ready to fay, ^hc Lord hath hr ought us into the Wildernefs to kill us bere^ and they murmured againft God and againft Mofes^ for which they were ftruck dead byHundreds&Thoufands : and juft fo Sinners do, and the fame Punifhment do they deferve. But had the Ifraelites felt at Heart, that it was their own voluntary Wickednefs which was xhtfole Caufe of their Ruin, and did Sinners feel it at Heart too, there would be no murm.uring in one Cafe or the other, but every Mouth would be flop'd. But I have fpoken to this before. To Conclude, It this Reprefentation of Things which I have given, be according to Truth, hence then we may learn thefe two Things, which indeed were what I had principally in View in dwelling {o long upon this Subjed and labouring to anfwerObje^lions : I fayjwe may learn — I. That any poor Sinner, all the World over, who hears tlie Gofpel & believes it, has lufHcicnt Grounds of Encourage- ment, from theFreenefs of God's Grace & the Sufficiency of Chrift and the univerfal Calls of the GofpeJ, to venture his eternal ALL in this Way of Salvation, and may fafely re- turn to God thro' Chrift in Hopes of Acceptance : And that without any particular Revelation, that he is ekofed or that Chrift died for him in particular. " Any may come, '^ the vileft and the worft j and therefore I may come." And therefore fuch a particular Revelation, is perfectly needlefs : Nor could it do anyGood \ for the Truth of the Gofpel may be depended upon, but the Truth ot fuch a particular Revelation cannot. — 2. That any poor, hnful, guilty, brv'jken-hearted Backflider, who groans under the Burthen of Sin as the greateft Evil, and longs to have the Power of Sin taken down, and his Corruptions flain, and himfelf thoro'ly fubdued to God, may look up to the infi- nite fretjGrace of God thro' Jefus Chrift, and pray, " Lord, " take away this Heart of Ston^,. ^nd give nic a Heart of " Fleih: Turn me, and I Ihall b^ turned : Lord, if thou "' wilr, tliou canft make me clean : Q create in me a clean '^ Hcfl.rt, and reaew in me a rigbi Spirit, and rcftore to ms *' the JovoC thy Salvation ! T\ce;,^a4 fdf" and dijiinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 359 « felf-movingGoodnefs I apply my felf thro' JefusChrift : " God be merciful to me a Sinner/' And that whether he knows himfelf to be a Child of God, or no : and fo whether he knows that he belongs to theNumber of theElea:,or not : Nor does he need any particular Revelation, that Chrift died for him in particular, or that he is ele^ed, or that he is beloved of God : Nor would thefe Things do any Good to clear up his Warrant to come forMercy •, becaufeGod may thro' Chrift give his holy Spirit to any that afk him : All that are athirft, are invited to come and take of the Waters of Life freely. " Any may come, and therefore I may " come, altho' the vileft Creature in the World."— And I appeal to all the Generation of God's Children, whether this has not been their Way of coming toGod thro'Chrift, ever fince the Day they firft came to know the Lord. Sure I am, this is the Scripture-Way. God has fent out a Proclamation thro' a finful, guilty World, mvitmg all to come to him thro' Jefus Chrift for all Things : and given many Encouragements, by reprefenting how free his Grace is how fufficient Chrift is, and how faithful his Promifes, and that whofoever will, may come, &:c. But no where in all the Bible, has he revealed it, that fuch and fuch in par- ticular by Name among Mankind areeleded, and that for thefe Individuals Chrift died in particular, by Way of En- couragement to thofe particular Perfons, in order to let them know that they might fafely truft in Chrift,and come to God thro' him.— But then muft we be right, when wc underftand the Gofpel and believe it, and u^on the very En- couragements which God has given, are emboldened to return in Hopes of Acceptance : And this muft be agreeable to God's Will : And to this muft the Influences of the true Spirit tend. But to venture to return and look to God for Mercy merely upon any other Ground, is anti-fcriptural : And whatfoeverSpirit influences thereunto, cannot therefore be from God. ^ ^ . , , And thus we fee how the Door of Life is opened by Chfift, our great Mediator and high Prieft. And hence, Chrift calls himfelf the^or, Joh. 10. 9. lam the Door: By me if any Man enter in, be Jhall be faved. And hence alio, he galls himfelf th^ Way to the Father. Joh. 14. 6. lam A a 4 ^^^^ 560 True Religion delineated Dis. II. the IVay^ the 'Truths and the Life : No Man cometh to theFa- thcr but by me. For thro' him (faith theApoftle, Eph.2.i80 we both have an Accefs by one Spirit u7Jto the Father. And alio thro'* him God is reconciling the World to himfelf fending Ambajfadors and befeeching them to be reconciled. 2 Cor. 5. 19, 20. — Which leads me to the next Thing projjofed. Section VI. j4 View of the Methods of divineGrace with Mankind from the Begi7i7ii?ig oj the World. 4. I am to Ihew what Methods the great Governourof the World has entered upon^ in Order to put in Execution thofe Dejigns of Mercy ^ ivhich he had in View^when he contrived to open this DOOR^ infuch a ^uoonderjul and glorious Manner^ by the Interpoftion of his own dear Son. The moft high God is confcious of his own infinite Ex- cellency, his Right to, and his Authority over theChildren of Men : He fees Mankind as being under infiniteObiiga- tions to love and obey him, and that the leall Defedl is an infinite Evil : He judges theLaw to be holy, juft and good, and Mankind wholly to blame for their Non-Conformity thereto, and worthy to be dealt with according to it. He knows their Contrariety to him, to his Law, and to his Cjofpel : He fees all thefe Things as they really are. — His infiniteWifdom fees how it is fit for fuch a one as he is,now thro* a Mediator, to condu6t towards fuch aWorld as this is : He fees what a Condud is moft becoming, and, ail I'hings confidered, moft meet and fuitable : And to this Condudl, the perfect Redlitude of his Nature prompts and inclines him. — Upon the whole, he necelTarily and freely determines to a61:likehimfclf,/.f. like an abfoluteSovercign, iniinitein WifdomjHolincfs, Juftice, Goodnefs &:Truth. — This v/as his Dcnerminatipn- from Eternity, this is his De- teimination in Time, and according to this Rule he adlu- aily proceeds, in all his Methods with a finful, guilty ,obfti- nace World ; Working ell Things according to the Counfel of bis cji-n WilL Eph. 1 . 1 1 . Sovereignly, and yet wifely ; holil/ and juitly, and yet ai tts Lord Gad gvacioiis and met'- ciful. and diJlinguiJlDed from all Counterfeits. 3 6 r cifuUflow to Anger and abundant in Goodnefs and ^ruth. As is his Nature, fuch is his Condud -, and hence his Condud exhibits to us the very Image of his Heart. Thus it is m the Impetration, and thus it is in the Application of our Re- demption, and in all the Methods he takes with a guilty World|li general. And heace, all his Ways are calculated to exalt God and humble the Sinner, to honour the Law and difcountenance Sin, to exclude Boaftingand to glorify Grace. As we (hall more fully fee in what follows. (i.) As being the fupreme Lord and fovereign Ruler of the whole World, he does thro* Jefus Chrift the great Mediator, the Lamb Jlain from the Foundation of the Worlds by whom his Honour has been fecured, he does (1 fay ) thro' him grants and by an A5f of Grace confirm.to the World of Mankind^ a general Reprieve from that utter Ruin, which by Law was threatned, and which an apofiate World were expofed unto. Total Dcftrudtion was threatned in Cafe of Difobedience. Gen. 2. 17. In dying thou fhalt die. i.e. Thou fhalt die with a witnefs, thy Ruin fhall be compleat. And now nothing could be expeded but a dreadful Doom, and to be fealed down under everlalling Defpair. But inftead of this, the great God dooms the "Ter/ipter^ and threatens utter Ruin to his new-ereded Kingdom. Gen. 3. 14, 15. Becaufe thou hafi done this^ thou art cur fed — And thy Head fjjall be bruifed. But guilty Man is reprieved from a total Ruin, and allowed a Space for Repentance. And the World has now ftood, almoft fixThoufand Years, reprieved by the tender Mercy of God thro' Jefus Chrift. Indeed, certain Evils v/ere denounced by the Majefty of Heaven as ftanding Monuments of his Difpleafure, always to at#id a guilty Race while in this World. Peculiar Sorrows were appointed to Women, and hard Labour and Toil to Men, and Sicknefs and Pain to both, till Death fliould put an End to their Reprieve and to their Space for Repentance. ^. 16 — 19. And when our Day to die fhall come, we are not to know : wc-lie at Mercy : and God adts fovereignly : fo long as he pleafes, fo loffg fhall we be reprieved, and no longer. And thus \yhile tender Mercy appears in the general Rcprieve,tb€ Holinefs and Juftice and Sovereignty of God appear in- th«' Manner of it. 362 l^rm Religion delineated Dis. II. it. God is exalted, a guilty World lies at his Mercy, they 3re in a Senfe continually under his Rod, and every Mo- ment liable to drop into an eternal Hell. They are held up in his Hand, Hell gapes to receive them, and now he lets one fall and then another, now this and then that, juft as it feems good in his Sight. Surely,this is awful H|||urely, Mankind are in very humblingCircumftances,& inCircum- ftances wonderfully calculated to awaken them to repent and fray to Gcd^ if -per adventure theirWickednefs may he forgiven. When the general Reprieve, granted to this lower World, {hall come to a Period, then will the great Judge of the World proceed, with all who fhall be found impenitent, according to Law^ without any mixture of Mercy. The prefentReprieve, granted as a Space for Repentance,is not of the Law^ but of mere Grace thro' Jefus Chrift. Now Grace takes Place, & Patience, Forbearance and Long-Sufiering fit on the Throne : but then Law fhall take Place, and {lri61: Juftice reign. The Mediation of Chrift at prefent fecures the Honour of Law and Juftice, and opens the Door for Grace *, but then the Day of Grace will be at an End. A guilty World fhall no longer be treated in a Way of Mercy, and favoured on Chrift's Account •, but be proceeded againft in flaming Fire and terrible Vengeance, and every one be punifhed according to his Deferts. How long the Day of God's Patience wjth a guilty World is to lafl, we know not. A guilty World Y\t^ at his Mer- cy, and may be all fummoned to the Bar when he pleafes. Surely, this is awful and awakening ! But this is the State in which God means to fhew all Long- Suffering, and to exercifc and difplay the infinite Patience of his Nature. And furely, this fhould lead us to Repentance ! #Thus, this is one Step in a Way of Mercy, which God in his in- finite Grace thro' Chrift has taken with a guilty World. And what is the Improvement v/hich Mankind are difpof- ed to make of it ? Why, hecaufe Sentence againft their Evil IVorks is not executed fpeedily -, therefore the Heart of the Sons of Melt is fully fet in them to do Evil. Eccl. 8. 1 1 . (2.) Another Favour granted to Mankind in general by the great Governour of the World thro' Jefus Chrift, is, a Competincy of the good Things of this Lfc for their comfor- table and dijiinguijhedfrom all Counterfeits. 363 table Support, while under this Btrieve and in tbisntw State of Probation. By Law Mank.nd for their Apoftacy ftood difinherited of every good Thing, doomed to a compk^t Deftruftion. Gen. 2. 17. But now thro' a Mediator, they are dealt with in a Way of Mercy.—- 'Tis true, m token of tliJiivine Difpleafure God turned Man out of Paradife, and STfed the Ground, and fubjecled Man to hard Labour. Gen 2 But then at the fame Time, for Chnft s fake, a general Grant of many good Things is made to a guilty World They arc allowed to live on God s Earth, breathe in his Air, fee by the Light of his Sun, to eat of the Herb of the Field, and to eat Bread in the Sweat of their i- ace, to cloath themfelves with the Skins of flain Beafts. G^«. 3 Thev are allowed Summer and Winter, Seea-Time and Harvea, and the Beafts of the Field are given to them. Gen. 8. 22. and 9. I, 2, 3- Yea, it has been God s Way abundantly to doGood to a guilty ^or\^,to fend Ratn and srant fruitful Seafcns, and fill the Hearts of Men wtth Food \ndGladnefs. Aa. 14. i?- So that confidering we are an apoftate, guilty World, we may well fay with tX^Ffahmft, The Earth is full of the Goodncfs of the Lord: Pfal. 33. 5- And this notwithftanding all the Calamities which over- fpread the whole Earth. For we are now to attribute every Thin<^ in our Circumftances, wh^eby we are better of it than the Damned in Hell be, to the mere Mercy and Goodnefs of God thro' Jefus Chrift. Thus God reprieves a euilty World,and grants them. Food and Raiment,to the Intent they may have a Space ibr Repentance Surely now 'tis vile, infinitely vile, to defpife the Riches of his Goodnefs ' and Forbearance and Long-Suffering, and not to take it in andanderftand it, that the Goodnefs ofGodfhomd lead us to Repentance : And it is great Madnefs, after our hard and impenitent Hearts to go on in our Rebellion, and trcaure^ up Wrath againfi the Day of Wrath, and Revelation of the righ- teous judgment of God. Rom. 2. 4, 5- -^"d yet this is the general Temper, and common Way of the World. (3.) Another common Favour granted to Mankind up- on Chrift'sAccount, is, a general RefurreUionf rant theBead: (I Cor. 15. 2 1. J to the Intent that all, who believe, repent and return to God thro' Jefus Chrift, may be compleatly happy 364 True Religion delineated Dis, 11. happy in Soul and Body for ever. It is certain, the Law thveatned Death, but made no Provifion for a Refurre6lion. And if the Law had been executed and no Mediator pro- vided, we have no Reafon to think there ever would have been any Refurredlion. And I cannot fee why a ojeneral Refurre6i:ion may not be confidered under the Noti%of a Mercy in it felf, notwithftanding many by their final Impe- nitency lay a Foundation for their being raifed up to ever- lafting Shame and Confufion. I am ready to think, that to be raifed from the Dead, mud furely be of the Nature of ^Mercy^ and fo be the Effed of ChriiVs Merits ; but the particular Manner in which the Wicked fhall be raifed, may neverthelefs be confidered as a Punifhment^ and fo be the Effed of their Sin and final Impenitency. Chrift's Merit lays the Foundation for a generalRefurre6lion, and all that believe and repent fhall be raifed up toGlory and compleat BlelTednefs, and al! that die in their Sins fhall be raifed up to Shame and compleat Mifery. (^4.) There are alfo diverfe other Things granted to Mankind in general, which feem pretty evidently to be of the Nature of Mercies, and fo to be owing to the Inter- pofition and Merits of our glorious Mediator Chrift Jefus, the only Mediator between God and a fmful, guilty World: to whofe Merits aiid Mediation, every Thing which Man- kind enjoy, which is of the Nature of a Mercy, is to be at- tributed. Diverfe Things, I fay, whereby much is done towards putting fuch an apoflate Race of Beings into a Ca- pacity of comfortably living together in this World, while they are in their new State of Probation. Divers Things in our Temper, which feem originally to take their Rife very much from thatTemperamentof Body and animajfon- ftitution, which God our Former gives us. There is a na- tural good Humour^ a natural Compajfioriy a natural Modefty^ and natural JffeFlions. Thefe Things, in a greater or lefs Degree, we find to be natural to Men, and to have a very great Influence to keep under and raflrain theirCorruptions, and to incline and prompt to many Adlions materially Good, and greatly for the Comfort of human Society and Benefit of Mankind in general. Thefe Things do evi- dently keeg Mankind from Abundance of Wickednefs, which and dijiinguijhe^from all Counteffeits, 3 6-5 whiqh- otherwifc they would commit : They have a Heart for a Thoufand Abommations, but tbele Ihings rcitrain them. And thefe Things do evidently putMankind on to a Thoufand Adions materially good, which otherwife they would never do: They have aHcart bad enough to neglect them,4ibut thcfe Things excite them to do them. — Were it not for thefe and otherRettraints, I fee not whyMankind fhould not be as bad in this World, as they will be in the next. Wicked Men have noWickcdnefs infufed into them at Death ; and therefore they have no other Nature, no other Principle of Sin in theirHearts,after they aredead,than they had before : But as foon as they are dead, they are evi- dently no Doubt as univerfally contrary to God and all that is Good, as the Devils themfelves. As foon as ever thole Things which now reftrain them,are all removed,their true Temper appears without any Difguife. — 'Tis no Doubt, therefore a greatMercy, for Mankind to be thus reflrained.^ They enjoy more Comfort, they commit lefsSin, they merit iefs Punilhment, they are under better Advantages to live together, 'to enjoy the Means of Grace and attend to the Oifers of Mercy by Jefus Chriil. And therefore it feems that all thefe Things ought to be attributed to the tender Mercy of God thro' Jefus Chriil, who is the Saviour of all Men^hut efpedally of them that believe, i Tim. 4. 10. Thus, the great God, inftead of executing the Sentence of the Law in ail it's Severity upon a guilty World, doesj thro' the Mediation of Jefus Chrilt, grant to Mankind in general thefe common Favours — They are reprieved from a total Ruin — have a comfortable Maintenance in ■ this World allowed them — a o;eneral Refurre<5lion is decreed — fever^jpatural Endowments are granted, to reftrain from bad Adtions and to prompt to Adions materially good. And hereby theGovernour of the World has laid the Foun-^ dation, and prepared the Way to go on to ufe the Methods he defigned, more immediately tending to reclaim and rc^T cover a finful, guilty World to himfelf ; for now Mankind are put into a Sort of a Capacity of being treated with in fucha Way.,- -Thefe Things ought deeply to aftefi: Mankind. We lie^, under many Calamities, and yet enjoy many Mercies mi thii 366 "True Religmi delineated Dis. IL this our natural State of Guilt and Condemnation •, all which ought to be improved to awaken, convince & hum- ble us, and lead us to repent and cry to God lor pardoning Mercy and landlifying Grace, and predifpofe us cordially to receive and embrace that Revelation, which God has made in his Word, of our Ruin and the Way of our RedK^ery. But, thro' the great Blindnefs and Corruption of Man- kind, thefe Things have had a very contrary Effedl. Man- kind, finding themfelves thus reprieved, ard thus kindly treated by God, have many of them hereby been led to think, they are in pretty good Standing, not hy Nature Children of Wrath ^ and under Condemnation. The Devil told Ez'e^tXhty JJjouldnot furely die -, fo many are now ready to think,that the oldLaw5whichthreatned the leaftSin with Death, is repealed •, &: that we are now born into the World free from any Guilt. And Mankind, finding themfelves endowed with natural Modejiy^ good Humour ., Ccmpajficn &c. are ready to dream, that they are born into the World without any finful Corruption of Nature, but rather as holy as Mam in Innocency. And hence ra'e very infenfible of any Need of fuch aRedeemer and Sanctifier as are provided. And fo they are predifpofedto diflike thatRevelation which God has made in his Word concerning our Ruin and the Way of our Recovery. And hence Mankind are ftrongly bent to mifunderftand and mlfinterpret and difbelieve the Law and the Gofpel. And befides, by this Goodnefs and Forbearance of God, Men are emboldened in Sin, as if it were not a very great Evil, nor God very much fet againil it. They begin to think, God is all made up of Mercy, and that they are in no great Danger. And fo after their hard and impcjiitcnt Hearts., they go on to treafure up Wrath agatn§i the Day cf Wrath., and Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God. Thus God and his Goodnefs is abufed by this vile wicked Race of apoftate, rebelhous Creatures. — And indeed, all this is no more than was expelled. — Great Reafon therefore was there for him fo efi^eAually to fecure his own Honour and the Honour of his holy Law, by the Interpofition of his own dear Son as Mediator. — • And now, let Mankind be ever fo bad, he can go on with his Methods of Mercy, to sccomplifh all his Defigns of Grace, and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 367 Grace, and all confiftent with the Honour of his Holincfs and Juilice, Law and Government and facred Authority. (5.^ Mankind being naturally very infenfible of their' finful, guilty, ruined Ellate, and totally ignorant of, and- unable to find out, any Way of obtaining the divine Fa- vour, and wholly averfe in theTemper of their Hearts to a genuineReturn to God j therefore God of his infiniteGrace thro' Jefus Chriil, has, in various Ways and diverfe Man- ners, according to the good Pieafure of his Will, by im- mediate Revelation from Heaven, fet before Mankind their Ruin and the Way of their Recovery, offered many Argu- ments, Motives and Encouragements to perfwade them to return, and denounced terrible Threatnings to deter them from going on in their Rebellion, and directed them, in the ufe of certain Means of Grace, to feek for the inward Influ- ences of the holy Spirit,to awaken and convince, to humble and convert and effectually recove^ them to God thro' the great Mediator. (6.) And, becaufe the moilHigh fees,that thro' the very bad Temper of Mankind, this external Revelation, altho' mofl excellently adapted thereto, yet,if left to themfelves, would finally prove altogether ineffectual to recover any of Mankind -, yea, fo very far from it, that Mankind would not fo much as rightly underftand or believe it, or feriouHy take Matters into Confideration, but would mifunderfland and pervert it, and finally univerfally difbelieve and re- nounce and forget it, and not fuffer it to have any Room in the World : therefore he has from the Beginning of the World and does flill and will to the End of the World, by the inward Influences of his Spirit and by the outward Difpenfations of his Providence, carry on, according to his fovereign Pieafure, the Work of his Grace, accomplifh his eternal Purpofes of Mercy, recover Sinners to himfelf,.' maintain true Religion in the World, preferve his Church, gather in all the Eleft, difplay all his glorious Perfections in his Dealings with Mankind, and get to himfelf a great Name in the End : Exhibiting in his whole Condud frora^ firfl: to lafl: the moft lively Image of himfelf. -s In thefe two laft Particulars, we have a general Account of thofe Methods, which God does take with a linful, guilty^ Race, 368 True Religion delineated Dis. II. Race, more immediately tending to their Recovery : which we may fee exemplified, in his Dealings with Mankind, from the Beginning, I. In the earlieft Ages of the World, immediately after the Fall^ he began to enter upon thefe Methods of Grace. He taught our tirft Parents their Ruin and theWay of their Recovery by the promiled Seed \ and inftitiiLed Sacrifices to typify the great Atonement, which fhould afterwards be made for the Sins of the World. Gen. 3. And what he taught our firfl Parents, they taught their Children. And hence Cain and Ahel and after-Generations learnt to worfliip God by Sacrifice. Gen. 4. 3 — 8. Now Adam lived until Methufelah was two Plundred and forty fix Years old, and Methiifelah lived until Shem was an Hundred Years old, and Shem lived until the Time di Abraham zxA Ifaac^ yea 'till Jfaac was fifty Years old •, fo that the News of Adara^YzW, of the Pv^uin of Mankind, and of Salvation by the Seed cf thelFoman., might eafily have been handed down by Tradi- tion from one to another, and allMankind might have been fully acquainted with thefe Things. — And befides thefe ex- ternal Teachings and Means of Grace, God granted the inward Influences ot his Spirit, whereby fome were effec- tually recovered to God, of whom were Abel^ Enoch and Noah., who VvTre alfo fignalized by divine Providence. Gen, 4. 4. &: 5. 22. &: 6. 9. Compared with Heh. 11. 4, — 7. But while God thus early began to ufe Methods for the recovery of a finful, guilty World to himfelf, they began early to fhew their Averfion to God and Unwillingnefs to return. Cain feems, by the Sacrifice which he offered, quite infenfible,that he was a fallen Creature, and that he needed an Atonement for Sin. He brought only of the Fruit of the Ground for a Thank-Offer ing, (like the Pharifee in Luk. 18. Whofe Prayer confifted only in Thankfgiving, without any Faith or Repentance) but brought none of the Flock for a Sin-Offering, (Gen. 4.) altho' without Jloed- ding of Blood there could he no Remiffion. Heb. 9. 22. He was a formal impenitent Hypocrite, nor would God accept him J but Ahel found Favour in the Sight of the Lord by Faith. Heh. 11. 4. And therefore Cain was angry at God, and enraged at his Brother, and murthered him, and call off and clijlinguipied from all Counterfeits. 369 off allReligion, & gave himfelf up to ferve his Lufls. Yea, he foribok the vifible Church of God, and departed and went into the Land of Nod. And thus he, and afterward* hisPofterity after him, join to renounce true Religion, and openly diflinguifh themfelves from God's vifible People oa Earth. G//2.4.16. And itfcems Good to the fupreme Go- vernour of the World, e'en to let them all take their Way, and ad their own Nature. . For a While, true Religion was maintained in theFami- ly of Seth. Gen. 4. 2 6. And to put Honour upon the Pradice thereof, Enoch was tranQated to Heaven. G^;/. 5. 24. But yet, in Procefs of Time, they degenerated, and became fo much hke the Reft of the World, like the P ofterity of Cain^ that they were difpofed to reliili their Company, and marry their Daughters. Gen, 6. 2. And then prefently the Contagion fpreadjT"/??^ Wickedness of Mankind in general was great upon the Earthy {f, 5.) All FleJJo corrupted theirWays^ and the Earth was filled with Violence, {f ,11^12.) And now the great Governour of the World raifes up Noah^ and makes him aPreacher of Rightecufnefs \ and Noah preaches, and God waits an Hundred and Twenty Years, but Man- kind will not be reformed, and therefore God gives over that Generation, and drowns the World by a univerfal De- luge.— Firft^ Mankind break thro' all the Reftraints lying upon them, difcover the very Temper of their Hearts,pubr lickly fliew their Averfion to God, their Difregard or his Grace, their utter Unwiilingnefs to return, and their per- verfe Propenfity to go on in theirRebellion. — Secondly yGody -thro', the Mediator, ufes Means to reclaim them, and Ihews all Long- fuffering,and fo tries them. — Thirdly, Thtj, remaining obftinate, trampling under Foot his Authority, and defpifmg his Goodnefs, he at laft in a moft publick Manner executes righteous Vengeance upon them. — He difplays his infinite Goodnefs and Patience, in waiting fo long and ufing fo many Means for their Recovery : He difplays his Sovereignty, in waiting but juft fo long,and in taking but juft fo much Pains with them ; He difplays his HoHnefs, Juftice and Truth, in bringing that Deftrudtioa upon them at the very Time before threatned : and in the whole,he difplays his infinite Wifdom j his v/hole Condud, B b ^ being 370 4 %^ue Religion delineated Dis. II. being excellently well calculated, to make all fucceeding Generatiorts know that he is the LORD^ and fuited to main- tain the Honour of his Holinefs, Juftice, Goodnefs and Truth, of his Law and Government and facred Authority. And thus we fee what Methods God took with the old World, together with the Refult of all. And now, 2. We come to take a brief View of his Ways with Mankind y?;;c^ the Floods and of their Carriage towards him. There is no Doubt but that Noah had received by Tradi- tion and well underftood the Fall of Adam^ the Ruin of Mankind, the Way of Recovery by the Seed of the Woman^ the Inftitution, End and Defign of Sacrifices. And there is no Doubt but that he faithfully inftrudled his Children, in what he himfelf knew. And they might have taught their Children, and they the Generation following, and fo all the World might have known the Way of Salvation thro' a Mediator. And 'tis certain, that this would have been the Cafe, had Mankind been in a Difpofition fuffici- ently to have prized the Knowledge of thefe Things. But "-johen they km^uj God^ by parental Inftruflion, they did 7iot glorify him as Gcd^ neither were they thankful for thefe Ad- vantages which infinite Goodnefs had granted them. Rom. ..1.2 1. But became vain in their Imaginations ^and their foolifJo Heart was darkened. And they foon loft the Knowledge of true Religion, and fell off co Idolatry, and changed theGlory of the inccrruptib'e Gody into an Image made like unto cor- ruptihle Man^ and to Birds and four-footed Beafis and creep- ing Things^ Ver. 23. For they did not like to retain Cod in their Knowledge y Ver. 28. And when Mankind, prefently after the Flood, did thus pubiickly difcover the Temper of their Hearts, by renouncing the true God and true Re- ligion, and railing away to Idolatry and Superftition and all Manner of Wickednefs : I fav, when Mankind, not- withftanding the late awful Vv arning they had had by the univerfal Deluge •, did thus quickly fhew themfelves fo in- tirely difpofed to their finful and rebellious Courfes : For this Caufe God gave them up, >?■. 24, 26, 28. even fuffered them to take their own Way and run their own Ruin. — The whole Earth might ril] have been God's People and his ' vifible and dijlingtiijloed from all Counterfeits. 37 1 vifible Family, but they would not. They might all have retained the Knov/iedge of the true God and of the Way to Lile, but they did not like to ; and God was not obliged to make them, and therefore he even let them take their own Courfe : and yet took Care, in after Ages, not to leave himfelf v/ithout Vvitnefs, but by many wonderful Works to let all the Nations of the Earth know that he was the LORD. And if any would repent and return, he made Provifiorr for their Reception as Profelytes into the /%j/^ Church. And doubtlefs here and there one, from Age to Age, by the inward Influences of his blefTed Spirit, were brought fo to do ; aad the reft were blinded ; as is faid in a parallel Cafe, Rom. ii. 7. And now theKnowledge of the trueGod & of true Reli- gion mufl prefently have been loft from off the Face of the whole Earth, and never have been recovered, and Satan had the moft full PoflefTion of the whole World to the lateft Poftcrlty, had not free and fovereign Grace interpofed in a moft wonderful Manner in this dark and awful Jun6i:ure. But in this very Seafon, God was pleafed of his own mere Goodnefs and fovereign Pleafure, ftill thro' the appointed Mediator, by the gracious Influences of his Spirit, and by immediate Revelations, and by the fpecial Difpenfations of hisPro vidence, to preferve to himfelf a Seed to ferve him.— He called Ahram alone, as it v/ere, from the reft of the World, and blefTed him -, he made farther Revelations to him touching the fromifed Seedy and entred into a Covenant to be his God and the God of his Children after him. And now, a new World of Wonders begin to open to our View, in the divine Difpenfations tov/ards Abrahajmndhi^ Seed. Gen, 12. &:c. Note^ While God was doing thefe Things with Aha» ham^ the reft of the World grew Wicked apace. And therefore God thought fit, to give a Specimen of theTem- per of his Heart, and let the Nations know that he was the LORDy by raining Fire and Brimftone out of Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah^ who were remarkably Wicked ; and at the fame Time delivering righteous Lot. Gen. 19. — A Difpenfation fo remarkable, and never the like before heard of, that no doubt it flew like Lightning all the World over, B b 2 and 372 True Religion delineated Dis. IL and fpread Terror and Surprize thro' the guilty Nations. Howfoever, fcr all this^ they turned not to the Lord. Well, Abraham is circumcifed with all his Houfhold, and true Religion is taught and maintained in his Family, and Ifaac his Son, and Ekazer his Servant, feem to have been favingly wrought upon by divine Grace. And God blelTes Abraham^ and he becomes very great ; and God prgteds him wherever he goes, to the Honour of his great »e, in the midft of an idolatrous World. Neverthe- the World inftead of growing wifer and better by all this, which doubtlefs was heard of and much wondered at among the Nations, they grew worfe and worfe. -^ Yea, Wickednefs appears openly in Abraham^ Family it felf. IJhrmel difcovers a bad Spirit -, He mocks at Ifaac ^ Gen. 21.9. And he that was born after the Flefh^ perfecnted him that was born after the Spirit^ Gal. 4. 29. So that he was, in a Sort, excommunicated and call out of God's vifible Family. And it is not long before true Religion is a Thing unknown among his numerous Pofterity. And they who were of the Seed of Abraham according to the Flefn, were now numbred with the Heathen. Thus, after this Sort it fared with Cain the fir ft Perfecutor, and thus it fares with IfJoynael^ for the warning of all godlefs and carnal ProfeiTors. And yet from Age to Age this fame Temper has appeared, and yet ftill does appear, altho' perhaps this Sin, from the beginning of the World to this Day, has never yet gone unpuniihed. Now, it was faid. In Ifaac fJjall thy Seed be called. And with him God renewed the Covenant, and to him thePro- mifes were repeated, and God blefled him, and he became very great ; and he alfo was under a fpecial divine Pro- te(5lion. Yet there was a profane Efau in his Family, who made fo light of the fpiritual Bleflings of Abraham., as, for a mere Trifle, to fell his Birth-right. And he afterwards became a Perfecutor of his Brother Jacobs and his Pofteri- ty foon loft the Knowledge of the true God and of the true Religion, and degenerated into a State oi Heathenifm. Nor can it be attributed to any Thing but the free and fovereign Grace of God, that Jacob and his Seed did not do fo toO: But fo it was ; for fo it feemed Good in the Eyes and diflinguijhed ff^om all Counterfeits. 3^ Eyes of him, who has Mercy on whom he will ha've Mercy ^ and whofe Purpofe according to Eleclion always ftands inde- pe7ident on Works. Rom. 9. 1 1. I fay, fo it was, thro' the Power of him, who worketh all Things according to the Counfel of his ownWill^thsLtwh^n all the otherNations of the Earth were fuffered to renounce the true God and the true Religion, that in Jacob God was known^ and his Name was great in Ifrael. — Never was there a Nation, which difco- vered a ftrongerPropenfity toldolatry & allManner of Wick- ednefs than they. And notwithftanding all the mighty Reflraints, by God laid upon them, they were almoft per- petually breaking thro' all, and ruihing on like the Horfc into the Battle. Neither Warnings, nor Threatninga^ nor the Authority of God, nor the Tears of their Prophets, nor the moft terrible Judgments, were ever abl^ effedually to rellrain that People and turn them to God. And had not God always by his fpecial Grace, kept a Remnant for him- felf, they would have been like Sodom and like toGomorrah. Jfai. I. 2 — 9. Ro?n. 11. 2 — 7. Now the divine Perfections were moft illuftrioufly dif- played, in the divine Condudt towards this People, from Age to Age ♦, and that not only before theirFaces, but alfo in the Eyes of all the Nations round about them. Marvel- lous Things were wrought in Egypt ^ and Wonders at the Red Seay and forty Years in the Wildernefs, which noDoubt did ring thro' the World, and were enough to have mad^ all the Earth know that he was the LORD^ and, but for their perverfe Stubbornnefs, to have brought them all to worihip him and him only. But all this was fo far fron> reclaiming the Heathert Nations, that it hardly tamed the Ifraelites themfelves. But they rebelled at Tiberah, and at Majfahy and at Kihroth-Hattaavah^ and were perpetually provoking the Lord to Wrath. Deut. 9. JVhen he Jlezv them^ then they fought him : And returned and enq^uired early after God, Neverthelefsy they did flatter hi^ with their Mouth ^and lied unto him with their 'Tongues, For their Heart was not right with him^ neither were they ftedfafl in his Covenant^ Pfal. 78.34 — 37. And many a Time were they within a ,Hair'$ Breadth of Deftruition, and would furely have beea B b 3 utterly 374 7rue Religion delineated Dis. IL utterly deflroyed, but that he wrcught for his great Name's fake. Exod. 32. Num. 14. Ezek. 20. So again, in the Days of Jojhua^ he divided Jordan^ and drove out the Heathen before them^ a7id gave them their Land ift Poffeffton^ and made the 'Tribes of Ifrael dwell in their Tents, Tet they afterwards tempted and provoked the mof} high God^ and kept not his Tefiimonies^ but turned back and dealt un- faithfully like their Fathers : they provoked him to Anger with their high Places., and moved him to jealoufy with their graven Images. Pfal 78. 54 — 58. Judg. 2. 6 — 20. And now for the Space of many Years, God, by raifing up judges and by feiiding Prophets and executing Judgments, did ilabour to reform them ; but all in vain : For they quickly turned afide like a deceitful Bow. However in the mean while, tbe Goodnefs and Patience of God on the one Hand, and his Holinefs and Juftice on the other, were illuftrioufiy difplayed by his wonderful Works in the midft of the Earth, to be founded out among ail Nations ; tlaat all the Earth might know that he was the LORD. In the Days of David and Solomon., God wrought for his great Name's fake., and exalted his People, and made Ifrael honourable in the Sight of all Nations ; yet were they not fmceie in his Sight : and when outward Reftraints were afterwards taken off, they foon difcovered the hidden Temper of their Hearts, that they did not care for God or his Worfhip, but liked Dan & Bethel^ as well as theTemple at Jerufalem, Thus did the ten Tribes ; nor was their trea- cherous Sifter Jiidah more fincere. When a good King reigned,they would pretend to be good •, & when a badKing reigned, they ftood ready for Idols. And now God fent Judgment upon them Time after Time, and fent all his Servants the Prophets, fiying, O do not this abominable Thing which my Soul hat eth : but they would not hearken. The Lord God of their Fathers fent to them by his Meffengerfy rijing up betimes and fending % bccanfe he had Compaffion on his People and on his Dwelling-Place : but they mocked the Meffengers of God^ and defpifed his If'ards, "and miftifed his Prophets^ until the Wrath of God arofe againfi his People., till there was no Remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the King cf the Chaldecs^ and gave them all into his Hand, 2 Chron. 36. 15, 16, i". However, and diJiinguiJJjedfrom all Counterfeits. 375 However, God was tenderly touched at the publick Reproach and Diihonour, to which his great Name was expofed in the Eyes of infulting Nations all around, who claped their Hands ^ andfiam-ped with their Feet^ and rejoyced with all their Hearty for what was done to the Peopb called by his Name, glorying that their GOD was no bet- ter than the dumb Idols which they ferved. WhereforeGod raifed up the Prophet Ezekiel, who clears up God's Con- du6l towards his People, in Chapters i6th and 1 8th and on. And dooms the neighbouring Nations in the Name of God, declaring what Judgment fhould come upon them from the Hand of God for their infulting, whereby they fhould be made to know that He was the LORD, as in the 2 5th to Chap. 3 1 . And now alfo Daniel and his Companions were by God raifed up, that by them his Name might be- come great in the Eyes of all Nations. And for them he works fuch Deliverances as to conflrain the haughty Mq^ narchs of the Earth to ifllie out their Decrees thro' all the World, that none fhould /peak any Thing amifs againft the God of Shadrachy Me/back and Abcdnego, upon Pain of be- ing cut in Pieces, and their Houfes made a Dunghill. ^ And that in all their Dominions Men fliould/^^r and trem- ble before the God of Daniel. Dan. 3. 29, and 6. 26. Surely the infinite Wifdom of God appears mod wonder- fully, in all the aftonifliing Methods which he has taken to make himfelf known, & to keep up theHonour of his great Name among fuch a wicked, God-hating Race of Beings 1 And now all this while, there was nothing but the in- finite Goodnefs, and free and fovereign Grace of God, to-r gether with his Covenant Faitbfulnefs, to move him, not to caft off and utterly rejedt his People, and let them bq fcattered among the Heathen, and their Name perifh from off the Earth. It was for his great Name^s fake that he wrought Salvation for them from Time to Time. Ezek. 20. When there was n6 Motive in them, but every Thing to the contrary •, then for his own Sake he undertook to write ins Law in their Hearts and put it in their inward Parts, to be their God and make them his People, and to remember their- Iniquities no more againft them, and to bring them back / ■ their own Land^ and plant them and buili tkm up, E?^ k 36, J$— 34, B M -^^"^ 37^ True Religion delineated Dis. II. And however, by the Bahyloniflj Captivity the Jewijh People were pretty thoro'ly cured of their idolatrous Dif- pofition ; yet after their Return, and after the godly Men of that Generation were dead, they foon began to fliew that they were as averfe to God and the Life of Religion as ever. And yet all thefe Things notwithftanding, God is determined to make one Trial more. He had fent one Servant after another, and they had been beaten, and Hon- ed, and put to Shame, and fent away empty. Now there- fore he fends his only Son^ to fee if they will hear him : and behold they fay, Come let us kill him. Mat. 21. 33 — '^^, Wherefore at laft, God determines to cafl off that Nation. ver. 41. And to go and try the Heathen, whom, for a long Time, he had fuffcred to take their own Ways. And now, to his Apoftles Chrifl gives Commiflion, to- go into all the Earth., and preach the Gcfpel to ev^ry Crea- ttire^andhe that hlieveth^fays he, /hall be faved ; and he that helieveth not Jhall be damned. And they run,and preach, and cry^ Repent and turn from ycur dumb Idols to ferve the livi?tg God. And had not they been flopped, they would ibon have carried the News all round the World. But Jews and Gentiles combine together, and Earth and Hell are in Arms to defeat the Defign. Neverthelefs, as many as were ordained to eternal Life believed. And God carried on his Work thro' a Sea of Blood, and in about three Hundred Years conquered ti;e R.oman Empire. No fooner is this done, but the Myflery of Iniquity begins to work, and the Man cf Sin to be revealed. The Devii and his Servants turn their Coat, and under the Cloak of Religion and good Order, eflablifli the Kingdom of Satan m a new Form : For it is the Nature of Mankind to hate true Religion. And now Antichrift reigns, and fcatten the holy People^ and wears cut the Saints of the moft High., for a Time.^and '"limes, and half a Time. In the mean while. The I'f/oman flies into the Wildernefs., the JVitneffes prophefy in Sackcloth., until at laft the Witneffes themfelves arc_ fldin. And now Religion is driven even jufl out of the World, and tb.ere had been no Hope, but that God awoke as one oiu rf bleeps like a mighty Man that fjcuteth by Reafon of /Vine. A^Tid behgid the Spirit of Lifi from God enters into and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 377 the two PFitneffes, that is, Luther and Calvin^ and others their Contemporaries *, and they flood upon their Feet, and great Fear fell upon- them which flaw them. And God put them out of their Enemies Reach. And there was a great Earthquake, and a tenth Fart of the City fell. Rev. 9 . And a glorious Day began to dawn. But now, it is not long, before many turnHereticks and Enthufiafls, and the World rifes in Arms, and by Fire and Sword endeavour to demoliih the Redeemer's Kingdorrr. However, God wrought for his great Name's fake, and has ever fince been working, and will go on conquering and to conquer, until all the Nations of the Earth are brought into Subjedlion to his Son. Thus we have taken a brief View of the Methods which God has taken to recover a finful, guilty World, to him- felf : The external Means we have chiefly dwelt upon. Up- on the internal, fomething farther faall be added prefently. But let us firft make a few Remarks. Remark i. Had not Mankind been wholly to Blame, they might all of them from the Beginning have enjoyed the Benefit of divine Revelation. Nothing fecluded them therefrom, but their own bad Temper and badCondu6l. — And had not Mankind been wholly to Blame, they might all of them have enjoyed the Gofpel, and had it preached ail over the V/orld to this Day. Nothing has hindered it but their own perverfe Obftinacy, their hating the Light, and hating the Truth. — Strange it is therefore, that fome Men of Learning fhould befo full of Charity for the Hea- then, who thus hate God, defpife Chi^ift, and rejed theGof- pei. * Rem. * But perhaps fome will be ready to fay, that there may he viany honejl Ferfo7is amwng the Heathen, nx)ho ne^ver heard of thu Gofpel j and nenjer rejected ^V, 'who 7n ay Ji and fair for Hea many Times ia an Oc 'rafion 378 True ReligiQ?i delineated Dis. II. Rem. 2. Mankind have manifefled the higheft Degree di Averfion to God and true ReHgionfrom the Beginning of the World, and that almoil in all poflible Ways. Hun- dreds, and Thoufands, and Millions, have they in their Rage put to Death, and that in the mofl barbarous and cruel Manner. Strange it is therefore, that fo many Matters di Fad have not to this Day convinced Mankind, that they are are truly Enemies to God. Strange, that they can have theFace to make the oldPretence, and fay. If ive had been in the Days of our Fathers^ ^we would not have been Partakers with them^ in the Blood of the Prophets, Mat. 23. 30. When all the Time, from Age to Age, they, have been ading over the old Scene. Rem. 3. It has been owing wholly and entirely to the free Grace and almighty Power of God, that the Church has been prefervcd^ and true Religion not driven clean out of the World : It is one of the greatefl Miracles that ever was wrought. Rem. 4. God has always a6led fovereignly in choofing what Family, Nation or Nations he would preferve true Religion among ^ all being by Nature equally averfe to God, and equally unworthy : and has always Siditdjujily in giving over other Families and Nations for their Sin and Apoftacy. Rem. 5. The whole Scheme of the divine Condu6t has been moft excellently calculated to difplay all the divine Perfections to the bell Advantage : And it does exhibit to us the very Image of his Heart in ftrong and lively Colours. ■\ But to proceed, . Altho' the external Means of Grace and remarkable I)if- penfations of Providence perhaps may in a Meafure fome- times reftrain Mankind, and bring them to a feigned Sub- mifTion to God and his Laws •, yet fuch is their rooted Enmity and entire Averlion to God and true Religion, that not cafion of Men's being hardened againft Chriftianity ; for they are very ready to fay, God^ I thank thcc, I am not as other Men. Like him in Luk. 18. Doubtlefs thefe honejl Heathen would do as their Fathers did, hai they the Opportunity'. So the honefl Je^m did. See Matt. 23. 28.^33. and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 379 not one will hereby be brought to repent and fincerely turn to God. Ffal ^%, 34—37. ^ 81. 8—12. Ifai. 5. i — 7. Nothing Ihort of thofe inward Influences of the Spirit, which are Almighty & AU-conquering, will efFedlually at- tain the End. Mat. 1 1 . 20 — ^7. Efh, 1.19. — And there- fore befides the external Means of Grace^ God has as it were taken a» World of Pains with one and another of Mankind by the inward Influences of his SPIRIT, — The externalMeans indeed, which have been ufed, are more open to Obferva- tion •, and fo alfo is that external Oppontion which Man- kind have made •, but the fame Ends which God has been purfuiing by the external Means, viz. to convince Mankind of their iinful, guilty, ruined State, and bring them to re- turn to God thro' a Mediator ; the fame has he been pur- fuing, by the inward Influences of his Spirit : and the fame Oppofition which has openly appeared againft the Means of Grace, has alfo fecretly wrought mightily in the Hearts of Men againft the inward Influences of the Spirit. Man- kind are as much inclined to refill the Spirit, as they be the fVcrd of God, and that for the fame Reafon and from the fame Temper -, becaufe both drive af the fame Thing, a Thing moft contrary to their Corruptions. Perhaps there 2xq fome whom God never vouchfafes at all to ftrive with by his Spirit, and thefe are ready to think there is no fuch Thing. Others^ are a little awakened, and from Self- Love, the Fears of Hell, and the Hopes of Heaven, they reform their Lives a little, and fet about fome external Duties, and fo think to make Amends for their pail Sins, and recommend themfelves to the divine Favour ; but are as great Enemies as ever to the Power of Religion : and here God leaves them to perifh. — Others are carried farther, and becoine more flridl and painful, but ilill from the fame Principles ; and there they are left to periih. — Not one takes one Step in earnefl, unlefs he is driven to it •, nor goes one Step farther than he is driven : and therefore God leaves one here, and another there, as feems good in his Sight. They do not like to retain God in their Knowledge^ and therefore he gives them over to a reprobate Mind^ as thofe fpoken of mRotn. i. 28. Some indeed are carried very far by the common Influences of the 380 Trnie Religion delineated Dis. II. the holy Spirit, they are enlightened^ they tafte of the heavenly Gifty and of the Powers of the World to come^ and are made Partakers of the holy Ghoft •, and yet after all fall away^ and perifh. Heb. 6. They have a great Senfe of their finful, guilty, undone Eftate, of the Wrath of God, and Dread- fulnefs of Damnation, and are mightily brought down ; and then have a great Senfe of the Mercy of God, the dy- ing Love of Chrifl, and the Glory of Heaven : and they think they are converted, and they are ravilhed with the Thought. However, in the End, all is turned to feed their Pride and their Prefumption, and to harden and em- bolden them in Sin. They are not fo much afraid of Sin now, becaufe they are confident they fhall never go to Hell. And many Times this Sort of People, thro' the great fweliing of fpiritual Pride and the immediate Influ- ences of Satan, come to have ftrange Experiences, and turn to be flrange Creatures, and broach ftrange Errors, and feem to be near entirely forfaken by God and Reafon and Confcience : and yet, (yea, and by the fame Means) get to be the holieJlCrt^tmts in the World, in their own Account. — But while the Sinners with whom the holy Spirit ftrives, do many of them turn out after this Sort -, fome in one Way, and fome in another ; there are others with whom God makes thoro' Work ; that is, makes them thoro'ly underftand and feel their finful, guilty, helplefs, undone Eftate, and fee into and believe the Gofpel Way of Sal- vation thro' Jefus Chrift, and return home to God in that Way. And now they are kept by the Power of God thro* Faith unto Salvation, i Pet. 1.5. And here God has Mercy on whom he will have Mercy. And even fo it has been as to the external Means of Grace from the begin- ning of the World. With fome, God has taken more Pains and longer ; and with others, lefs Pains and lliorter : but when all the reft of the World degenerated to Heathenifm, God took effedual Methods with the Ifraelites to keep them from doing fo too. — And thus, in a refembling Manner, he does with all the fpiritual Seed of Abraham, with .his Eled ; whereby in Spight of all Op- pofition, they are brought to Glory at laft : they are fed with Manna every Day : the PillayjDf Cloud by Day, and and di/iinguijhedfrom all Cotmterfeils. 3 8 x of Fire by Night, is their continual Guide : and the Rock which follows them is Chrift : i. e. They are fed and are guided, they Uve and arc idefrefiied, and are helped to hold on their Way, by continual Influences from on high, by conllant Communications of divine Grace. And fo the Path of the Jutl is like the fhining Lights which fmnes more and more to the perfedf Day. Remarks. Never is any poor Sinner under the Light of theGorpel,by God pafTed by, without ever being awakened by theHolySpirit,but God fees he is deaf to the Voice of his Word, and hates to be awakened, and loves to go on le- cure. — Never is any awakened Sinner forfaken by the Spi- rit of God, and left to take his own Way, and run his own Ruin, but that firfl he refiiled and grie^ied the holy Spirit, and ftifled Convidion, and rent away, as it were, out of God's Hands — And never is a poor Sinner favingly bro't home to God, and trained up for Heaven ^ but that, from firfl to lafl, it was abfolutely and entirely owing to the in- finite Goodnefs, free Grace, and almighty Pov/er of God. And indeed, thus will it appear at the great Day of Judg- ment, that ail who periih are v/holly to blame, and all that are faved will have none to glory in but the Lord. — But I have elfewhere fo much infifted upon the Nature of the In- fluences of the holy Spirit, that I muft not here enlarge. Thus the Way to Life is opened by Chrift Jefus, and all are invited to return and be faved. And thus we fee the Methods which God takes for the Recovery of a ^\i\m\^ guilty World. And from all that has been faid we may draw thefe Inferences. I. It is undoubtedly the Duty of poor Sinners to be deeply affe5ied with all thefe wonderful Methods of divine Grace, and to Strive and Labour with the great eft Painfulnefs and Diligence to fall in with' the Defign of the Gofpel, to be fenfible of their fmfuljguiltyjUndone Eftate, and to look to the free Grace of God thro' Jefus Chrift for Relief, and to repent and return to God thro' him, Luk, 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the fir ait Gate. Some are of the Opinion, that becaufe the beft Sinners can do, while Enemies to God in their Hearts, is, as to the Manner of it, fmful and odious in the Eyes of the divine Holinefs, that therefore their beft Way 382 True Religion delineated Dis. IL Way is to do nothing, but to fit flill and wait for the Spi- rit. But nothing is more contrary to Scripture or Reafon. I^he Scripture fays, Strive to enter : And Reafon teaches, that when the God of Heaven, the great Governour of the \Yorld, is thus coming out after guilty Rebels in a Way of Mercy, it becomes them to be deeply affeded thereat, and to exert all their rational Powers inOppoficion to their Sloth and Corruptions, labouring to lie open to the Means of Convidlion, avoiding every Thing that tends to promote Security, and to render ineffedlual the Methods of divine Grace, and praclifmg every Thing that tends to their far- ther Awakening. And O let this be remcmbred, that it is Sinners refilling the Methods of Grace, which izJaufes God to give them^ver. Pfal. 81. 11, 12,13. But my Peo- ple would not hearken to my Voice : and Ifrael would none of me. So I gave them up to their own Hearts Luft : and they walked in their own Counfels. O that my People had hearkened tinto me^ a'nd Ifrael had walked in my Ways ! 2. From what has been faid we may learn, that it is Madnefs and Folly for poor Sinners to ufe the Means of Grace under a Notion of doing their whole Duty, and fo pacify their Confcience. The Means of Grace are defigned in the firfl Place to convince Sinners of their finful, guilty, ruined State •, and for them to forget, totally forget, this their End^ and to go about to attend upon them under a Notion of doing that Duty which they owe to God, as fomething in Lieu of that perfed: Obedience which the Law requires, is. quite to lofe the Benefit of the Means of Grace ; yea, to thwart their very Defign : and tends to keep Men from Conviction and Converfion, and feal them dov/n in fpiritual Security. — That which God directs them to do, to the End their Confciences might be more awa- kened, they do, that their Confciences might be more quieted. The Means which were appointed to make them more fenfible of their Need of Chriil and Grace, they ufe to make themfelves the more infenfible thereof. 3. Sinners are not to ufe the Means of Grace under a Notion of making Amends for their paft Sins, and recom- mending themfelves to God : Rom. 10. 3. Nor under a Notion that by their ftrongeft Efforts they Ihall be ever able to and dijit7tguijhed from all Counterfeits. 383 to renew their own Nature : E-ph, 2. i. Nor under a No- tion they can do any Thing at all to prevail with God to renew them. Rom. 1 1. -i^c^^ ^6. — But on the contrary, in the Ufe of the Means of Grace, they are to feek for and labour after a thorough Conviction, that they can neither make any Amends for their paft Sins, nor in the leaft re- commend themfelves to God, that they cannot renev/ their own Nature, nor in thelcaft move God to -fhew them this Mercy : to. the intent,that being thus convinced of their ru- ined,helplefs State,they may be prepared to look to the free Mercy and fovereign Grace of God thro' Chrill for all Things : which is the very Thing that the Gofpel aims at. Rom. 3. 9. — 26. and which the Means of Grace are defign- ed to promote, & bring them to : and to which the Spirit of God, by his inward Influences,does in the Ufe of Means, finally bring all who are faved. Rom. 7. 8,9. Gal. 3. 24. For Sinners to ufe the Means of Grace under the other Notions aforefaid, is praclically to fay, " We are not fallen, *' finfuj, guiky,helplefs, undone Creatures, nor do we need " theRedeemer or the San6lifier, which God has provided, *' nor do we lie at his Mercy, or intend to be beholden to " his mere fovereign Grace. If v/e have finned, we can " make ^Amends for it : if we have difpleafed Godjwe can '' pacify him again. If v/e are Wicked, we can become *' Good : or if we do as well as we can,and then want any " further Help, God is obliged to help us." If therefore Sinners would take the wifeft Courfe to be the better for the Ufe of the Means of Grace, they muft try to fall in with God's Defign, and with the Spirit's In- fluences, and labour to fee and feel their finful, guilty ^con- demned, helplefs, undone Eftate. For this End, they mull forfake vain Company, leave their Quarelling and Conten- tion, drop their inordinate worldly Purfuits, and abandon every Thing which tends to keep them fecure in Sin and quench the Motions of the Spirit ; and for this End mud they read, hear, meditate and pray, compare themfelves with God's holy Law^ try to view themfelves in the fame Light that God does, and pals the fame Judgment upon • themfelves : that fo they may be in a- Way to approve of 'the Law, and to admire the Grace of the Gofpel, to judge *•■ ?ni 384 True Religion delineated D i s . IL and condemn dicmfelvcs, and humbly to apply to the free Grace of God thro' Jefus Chriil for all Things, and thro' Him to return to God. Thus we have gone thro' what was propofcd under this third general Head : We have confidered the Neceility there was of Satisfadlion for Sin, and of aperfedRightcouf- nefs : We have confidered what Satistaclion for Sin has been made, and what a Righteoufnefs wrought out, and wherein their Sufficiency confifts : We have confidered how the Way of Life has been opened by the Means : and we have confidered what Methods God has actually entered upon, for the Recovery of loft Sinners to himfelf. — And thus now upon the whole we fee, upon what Grounds the great Governour of the World confidered Mankind as be- ing in a perifhing Condition, and whence his Defigns of Mercy originally took their Rife, and what Necefiity there was for a Mediator and Redeemer, and how the Way to Life has been opened by Him whom God has provided : and fo may now pafs to the next Thing propofed. Section VIL Shewing the Nature of a genuine Compli- ance with the Gospel. IV. To fhew the true "Nature of a facing Faith in Chrift. And becaufe by the Whole, I am to explain the Nature of the Gofpel, and of a genuine Compliance therewith, there- fore I will begin with a more general View of Things, and afterwards proceed to a more diftin6t Survey of Faith in particular. NOW, a genuine Compliance with the Gofpel, in gene- ral, confifts in a fpiritual and divine SigfW: and Senfe of the great Truths therein prefuppofed and revealed •, and in a firm Behefof thofe Truths, and an anfwerable Frame of Heart. As is evident from 2 Cor, 4. 3,4?6» i '^W- 2. I3' Mat. 13. 23. Joh. 8. 32. 'Tis divine Light imparted by the Spirit of God to the Soul, which lays the Foundation of all. Mat. 11.25. Gal.' I, 16, 2 CQr. 3, J 8. This ffirUual ^i^^ divim Li^ht ^ccoi' • dmg and diJlinguiJJjedfrom all Counterfeits. 385 ding to the Language of St, Pauh Jhines in the Hearty and coniifts in i\\c Knoiv ledge of GLORT^ 2 Cor. 4. 6. That is, in.a Senfd.oi' moral Beauty, a to/^ of that Beauty there is'in the moraj. PcRFECTiONSof GOD,andi|i all fpirirual and divine Things, that holy Beauty which is peculiar to Ipintual and divine and holy Things, of, which every ujwoly Heart is pcrfedly infenfible. i Job. 1.3. 6. And by u] Things are made to appear, to us in a Meafure as they do to God himfelf, and to the Angels & Saints in Heaycr>,, And fo by //, we are made to change our Minds, and are brought to be of God's Mind concerning Things. And io we are hereby difpofed to underftand, believe, entertaia and embrace the Gofpel. Job. 8. 47, GOD the great Goveraour of the World, who fees all Things as being what they are, does in the Gofpel confi- der Mankind 2is per iJJjing^ as fallen, iinful, guilty, juftly; condemned, helplefs and undone. He looks upon .th^, original Conftitution with yidam asholry,juft and good j and that by and according to that Conftitution, he might: have damned the whole human Race, confiftent with his. Goodnefs, and to the Honour of his Holinefs and Juftice ; He looks upon the Law of Nature as holy, juft and good -, and that by and according to that, he might damn a guilty World, confiftent with his Goodnefs, and to the Honour of his Holinefs and Juftice. Now by this divim Light we are brought to look upon Things as God does, and to have an anfwerable Frame of Heart. Again, GOD the great Governour of the World, v/fec^ fees all Things as being what they are, does in the Goipel confider a guilty World as lying at his Mercy, I-^ faw that he was under no Obligations to pity them in the leaft, orintheleaft to mitigate their Puniihnient : much lefe. under any Obligations to give his only begotten Son, that whofoever believes in him, Ihould not periih, but have ever- lafting Life : and fliill much lefs under any ObHgationv by his holy Spirit to fubdue and recover fuch obftinate Re- bels, who hate him and his Soii, his Law and his GofpeU and are perfectly averfe to a Return. He faw a guilty World lie at his Mercy ; and that he was at Liberty to have Mercy or not to have Mercy, according^ to his fover: C c reigti 386 "Irue Religion delineated Dis. IL reign Pleafure ; and that it was fit & becoming his glorious Majefty to adlas a Sovereign in this Affair. And now by this divine Light we' are brought to look upon Things as God does, and to have an anfwerable Frame of Heart. Again, GOD the greatGovernour of the World, who fe'es all Things as being what they are, at the fame Time that he defigns Mercy for a guilty World, does confider a Mediator as being necelTary to anfwer the Demands of the broken LaWj and fecurethe divine Honour. In fuch a 'pBrijhing Condition he fees Mankind ; fo guilty, fo juftly condemned, that it would be inconfiftent with the divine Perfediions, and contrary to all good Rules of Government, to pardon & fave fuchwickedHell-defervingRebels,without fome proper Atonement for their Sin and fuitable Honour done to his Law. But the Honour of his Holinefs and Juilice, Law and Government is facred in his Eyes, and of infinite Importance, and muft be maintained : better the whole World be damned than they in the leaft be fullied. And now by this divine Light we are brought to look upon Things as God does, and to have an anfwerable Frame ot Heart. '.':.. ^^i. Moreover, GODthe great Governour of theWorld,who fees ail Things as being what they are, view^s his only be- gotten Son as a meet Ferfon for a Mediator, and himfelf as having fufHcient Power to authorize him to the Work. " Of his fovereign Self-moving Goodnefs, he, in his infinite .' Wifdom, contrives the whole Scheme, lays the whole Plan, and puts his Defign in Execution •, the Door of Mercy is opened, the News of Pardon and Peace is fent thro' a guilty World,- and all are invited to return home to God thro* Jefus Chnft : and God looks upon this Way of Salvation as being glorious for God, and fafe for the poor Sinner. And now by this divine Light we are brought rightly to underftand thefe 1 hings, and look upon them as God does, and believe them^Sc to have an anfwerableFrame ofHeart. r-.Laftl)\ GOD the great Governour of the World does, in the Gofpel, confider our return unto him thro' Jefus Chrift, not only as a Duty to which we are under infinite Obligations, but alfo as a Priviledgg of infinite Value ; and' la thi^ View of the Cafe, he commands and invites us to. re- turn. and dijiingiijjhed from all Counterfeits. 387 turn. And now by this divim Light we are brought to look upon this alfo as God does, and to judge it the fitted and bappieft Thing in the World to return unto him thro* Jefus Chrifr, and to have an anfwerable Frame of Heart. For, By this Light -^t come to have a right View of the moft high GOD, to fee him in a Meafure as the Angels and Saints in Heaven do, to fee him in his infinite Greatnefs and Maielly, and in the infinite Glory and Beauty of hisNature. Arid hence we -are made fenfible that he is infinitely worthy of the higheft Efteem, Reverence, Love, Delight, and of univerfai Obedience. And hence v/e fee that we in parti- cular are under infinite Obligations to love him with all our Hearts, and obey him in every Thing — and that to do fo, is the happieft Thing in the World — that not to do {Oy is infinitely wrong — and deferves an infinite Punifhment. And thus v^e fee the Grounds of the Law of Nature, the Reafons from whence it refults, and with all our Hearts confent to it and approve of it as holy, juft and good. And this naturally lays the Foundation for us rightly to under- Hand and heartily to approve of the original Conftitution with Adam. — And while we behold God in his infinite Glory, and view the Law as holy, juft and good, and fee our infinite Obligations perfedlly to conform unto it : now our univerfai Depravity and infinite ill Defert appears in a clear & divineLight. Hence it appears, we lie atMercy,and that it is fit he fiiould haveMercy on whom he will, that it becomes theMajefty of Heaven to a6t as aSovereign in this Affair. And it appears, that there is no Motive in us to excite his Compaffions \ but infinitely to the contrary : and hence the Heart is prepared to difcern the Freenefs of di- vine Grace, and to perceive that the Goodnefs of the divine- Nature muft be felt-moving •, and alfo to underftand the Need there is of a Mediator to fecure the divine Honour : for Creatures fo bad appear too vile to be relieved, unlefs Juftice may firft be fatisfied ; 'tis contrary toLaw,and con- trary to Reafon that they fhould. — And while we view thefe Things, and have a divine Senfe of them on our Hearts, we are hereby prepared to underftand the Way of Salvation by free Grace thro' Jefus Chrift, as revealed in the Gofpel. And now a Senfe of the glorigus Freenefs of C c 2 divine 388 *True Religion delineated Dis. II, divine Grace, the Excellency and Sufficiency of Chrift, and the readinefs of God to be reconciled to returning Sinners thro' him, lays the Foundation for Faith and Hope. * — And all this while, there is fecretly enkindling in theHeart, a moft genuine Difpofition to return home to God, to love him and live to him, arifing from a Senfe of the ineffable Glory and Beauty of the divine Nature : for he appears glo- rious in Holinefs, Juilice, Goodnefs and Grace ; and glo- rious in his Sovereignty and in his Majefty, as fupreme Lord and high Governour of the whole World. — Upon the whole, with utmoll Solemnity, as being in our felvcs infinitely unfit for the divine Favour, we venture our eter- nal All upon Jefus Chrifl as Mediator^xtXym^ on hisWorth and Merits,and trufling to the mere free Mercy of God thro' him for Pardon and Grace and Glory, and hence are en- couraged and emboldened with our whole Hearts to return home to God thro' him, and give up our felves to God for ever, to love him and live to him, and live upon him for ever, lamenting that ever we finned againft him, refolving to cleave to him with all our Hearts, and never, never to depart from him. Heb, 4. 16. ^ lo. 19 — 22. Eph. 2.18. Job. 14. 6. Rom, 3. 24, 25, 26.— And thus, hy t\\\s divine Lights imparted by the Spirit of God, is the Soul finally brought to unite to Chrift by Faith, and to return home to God thro' him. Joh. 6. 44,45. No Man can come to mCy except the Father draw him. — l^hey jJoall he all taught of God, Every ^ian therefore that hath heard 'and learned of the Fa- ther^ * All thefe Things (altho' it takes confiderablc Time to exprefs them in order) may, for S-ibllance, inllaniiy open to View, and the Soul im* Tnediately acquiefce in the Gofpel Scheme and clofe with Chrift ; in" fimtiy, I fay, upon DIVINE LIGHT's being imparted to the Soul. But the Mind, in that folemn and awful Hour, may efpecially fix only upon fome Particulars ; and fo a Remembrance of tliefe may remain, while other Particulars, which were then in View, can't afterAvards fce recollected. Hence, fome may doubt whether their firji A^ of Tffith was right. The bell Way, to remove fuch Fears, is to live in the Exercife of Faith every Day. For when thefe Views, and a conf- cioufnefs of them, become habitual, our Scruples will ceafe of Courfe. The fpecial Nature of our Taith may be learnt from the after ASs, as well as by i\itfrji ASl ; for the after ASfs will be of the fame Na- ■ tBr«-w«h thc/r/?, let our Faith be true or falfc. , and dijltnguiped from all Counterfeits. 389 ther^ cometh unto me. And from what has been faid con- cerning the Nature of the Gofpel, it is Self-evident, that herein confifts a genuine CompUance therewith. For all this is only to fee Things as being what they are, and to be affedled and aft accordingly. Remark i. This is pecuHar to a genuine Compliance with the Gofpel, and that whereby it is fpecifically diffe- rent from all Counterfeits, namely, it's being founded in, and refulting from, this divine Light ; whereby we are brought, not merely in Speculation, but in Heart, to look upon Things as God does. He fees all Things as they are 5 and therefore when any poor Sinner is brought to a right View of Things, i. e, to fee them as they are^ he mull by Confequence look upon them as God does. Now all others being blind and ignorant in Scripture Account, hence this true Sight and Senfe of Things is very peculiar and diftin-r guifhing. And hence we may obfei*ve, that it is mentioned as being peculiar to the Good-Ground-Hearers, in Mat, 13.25. "That they heard the Word and understood/^. And Chrift intimates that none but his true Difciples know the Truth. Joh. 8. 31, 32. AndtheGofpel isagain& again faid to he hid from all others. Mat. i j. 25. 2 Cor, 4. 3. And they only have it revealed unto them. M2/.11.25, They only have the Vail taken off from their Hearts. 2 Cor, 3.14 — 17. And they only /^^M5w?V^ OPEN Face. Ver. 18. 2. This fpiritual and divine Light lays the Foundation for a new Kind of Belief of the Gofpel. A Sight of the divine Beauty and Glory of the Gofpel Scheme, convinces and affures the Heart that it is divine, apd indeed from God, and not a cunningly devifed Fable. This is an Evi- dence peculiar to the Regenerate, and of all others it i? unfpeakably the moft fatisfaftory. See this largely ex- plained and proved in Mr, Edwards'" s Treatife on religious Affedions. Page., 182 — 199. 3. Regeneration, Faith, Repentance and Converfion are in their own N?ture connedted together, and fo they are in this Reprefentation. In Regeneration we receive this di- vine Light, this nt5w fpiritual- Senfe of Things. . Our Eyes are opened, and we are brought out of Darknefs into this mrvellous Light , and fo come to have a right View of C c 3 ^ Ggd,^ 390 T^riie Religion deli?teated Dis. II. God, of our Selves, of Chrifl,- and of the Gofpel Way of Salvation by free Grace thro' him. — This Ipiritual Illumi- nation lays the Foundation for Faith, Repentance and Con- verfion. It difcovers the Grounds of Faith, of Repentance and Converfion ; and we believe, we repent and convert. Repentance towards God^ and Faith towards our Lord 'Jefus Chriji ^dX'^zys go together. A£i, 20. 21. And theGofpei calls Sinners to repent and be converted^ as well as to belie've in Chrift.^^. 3. 19. Thofe therefore who feem to have much Ught 2.nA Faith 2inA Joy, but have no Repentance, nor do turn to God with all their Hearts, are deluded. 4. Spiritual Light and true Faith arc always in Propor- tion. A fpiritual Senfe of God, of ourSelves, of Chrift, and of the Gofpel Way of Salvation by free Grace thro' him, lays the Foundation for Faith ; and Faith naturally refults therefrom y as has be;n obferved, and as is evident from Jch. 6. 45. And therefore from the Nature of the Cafe, they mult be in equal Degree in the Heart. And therefore thofe who pretend to live by Faith, when they are fpiritualiy blind and dead, do but deceives thcmfelves. Nor is what they plead from Ifai. 50 10. at all to the Purpofe : ^ho is among you that feareth the Lord^ that obeyeih the Voice of his Ser'vant, that ivalketh in Darknefs and hath no 'Light ? Let him truji in the Lord, and pay upon his G(?^.' "Bccaufe. i. The Eerlbns here fpoken of were not fpiritualiy blind and dead, but had a fpiritual Senfe of God and divine Things on their Hearts -, for they feared the Lord and obeyed his Voice ; fo that they lived in the Exer- cife of Grace, and walked in the Ways of Hoiinels, v/hich without fpiritual Light had been im.pofiiblc. And ■— 2. What they were in the Dark about, was, how or by what Means the Children of Jfrael fliouid ever be brought cut of thtSabylonifo Captivity, back again to Zion -, v/hich they knew God had promifed, but they could fee no Way wherein it could be brought "about. In this Refpeft they •ivalhd in Darknefs and could fee no Light, and therefore they arc exhorted to put their "iVufi in the Lord, whofe Wiidom, Power and Faithfulnefs are infinite. This is evidently the meaning of the Words, as is manifeft froni JiC Scope and Tcnour of the Frophet's Pifcourfc tfiro' all the and diliinguijhed from all Counterfeits, 391 the ten preceeding Chapters, which was calculated for the Support and Comfort of the Godly in the Rabylonifh Cap- tivity, by afTuring theni of a Return. * Nor what is-fai4 about Ji?rahamy that againft Hepe^he helievedin Hope, — * Nor what is faid by St. Paul^ We walk by Faith and not by Sights— any Thing to their Purpofe : unlefs they fuppofe, that Abraham and Paul^ and the primitive Chriflians in general, were as dead and blind and carnal as themfelves, . — The Truth is, that this blind Faith is the very fam^ Thing, which the Apoftle James calls a dead Faith, 5. Evangelical Humiliation and true Faith are likewife always in Proportion, Evangelical Humiliation confifts in a Senfe of our own Smfulnefs, Vilenefs, Odioufnefs and Ill-Defert, andinaDiipofition thence refulting to lie down in the Duft full of Self-loathing and Self- abhorrence, abafed before the Lord, really accounting our felves infinitely too bad ever to venture to come into the divine Prefence in our own Names, or to have a Thought of Mercy from God on the Account of our own Goodnefs. And it is this v/hich makes us fenfible of our Need of a Mediator, and makes us defire to be found not in our felves but in Chriil, not having on our own Righteoufnefs but his. No farther therefore than thefe Views and this Temper prevails in us, ihall we truly difcern any Need of Chrift, or be heartily inclined to have any Reiped to him as a Mediator betweea God and us, There can therefore be no more of true Faith in Exercife than there is of this true Humility, When Men therefore appear righteous in their own Eyes, and look upoQ themfelves as dcferving well at the Hands C c 4 of * The three firft Verfes of the next Chapter, [Ifai. 51. i, 3, 3.) do, I think, confirm the above Interpretation of Ifai. 50. 10. Altho' I Doubt,not, the Prophet's Difcourfe, thro' the abovefaid ten Chapters, has a farther Look to the MeJJiahh Kingdom, and our Redemption out oi myftical Babylon, But let theWords be confidered in eitherView, or only confidered in themfelves abfolutely, 'tis plain, they never were defigned to comfprt6'/(7»)/-Gro«WHearers, when theirReligion is all worn out,& they become dead.blind & carnal-, and fo full ofDoubts & Fears : Nor do they mean to embolden fuch ^* firmly to believe they are in a " goodEflate,tho' ever fo nmch in theDark. i e. Tho'theyfee noGracs " in then- Hearts, nor Signs of any :" For the Words are direded oul^ 19 thofc ^vhofear th Lord^ and okev the Foici ofibis Ser^janL 39? True .Religim delineated Dis. II. of God on the Account of their own Goodnefsjthey can feel no Need of a Mediator, nor at Heart have any Refpecl to Chriil under that Characlier. Luk.^,^T. — This condemns the Faith of the Self-righteous Formdift^ who depends upon his being confcientious in his Ways, and upon his finccrely endeavouring to do as well as he can, to recommend him to God. And this condemns alfo the Faith of the proud Enihufiafiy who appears fo Good in his own Eyes, lb far from a legal Spirit, fo purely Evangelical, fo full of Light and Knowledge, Humility and Love, Zeal and Devotion, as that irom a Senfe of his own Goodnefs, and how greatly beloved he is in the Sight of God, he is encouraged, and elevated, and teels greatly emboldned to come into the Prefence of God, and draw near, and come even to his Seat, and ufe Famiharity and Boldnefs with God, as tho' iie was almofl an Equal. Such are fo far from any true Senfe of their Need of Chrift, as that they rather feel more fit to be Mediators & Interceifors in Behalf of others, than to want one for themfelves. And it is the Way of fuch, .from that great Senfe they have of their own Goodnefs, to make bold with God, and to make bold with Chrift, m the;r Prayers, as if they felt themfelves pretty nigh upon a Level. — Of all Men in the World, I am ready to think, that God looks upon thefe the worif, and hates them the moit. Luk. 18.9 — 14. Ifai. 6^. 5. But did they know it, ihey would hate him as entirely as he does them. Hypocrites of all Sorts fail in this Point ; they fee no real Need of Chriil ; they are not fo bad, but that to their own .Senfe and Feeling, they might be pardoned and laved by the free Mercy of God, without any Mediator. Hence they do not underiland the Gofpel, 'tis all Foolillinefs to them. I Cor, 2. 14. 6. It is a fpiritual Senfe and firm Belief of the Truths of the Gofpel, v/hich encourages the Heart to truft inChrift. Job. 6. 45. That the Goodnefs of God is infinite, and I'elf-moving : that Chrift, as Mediator, has fecured the Honour of God the moral Governour of the World, and ppep.ed a Way for the free and iionourabie Exercifc of his Griice : that thro' Chrift, God the fupreme Governour of the World is actually ready to be J^econciled, and invites all, and difimguijbed from allCounterfeits. 393 all, the vilefl not excepted, to return to him in this Way. Thefe Truths, being fpiritually underflood and firmly be- lieved, convince the Heart of the Safety of trufting ia Chrift, and encourage it fo to do. Ueh, i b. 1 9. Mat, 22.4. 7. Saving Faith confifts in that entire Truft, Reliance, or Dependance on Jefus Chrifl the great Mediator, his Sa- tisfadion and Merits, Mediation and Interceffion, which the humbled Sinner has, whereby he is enibolden'd to re- turn home to God in Hopes of Acceptance, and is encou- raged to look to and trull in God thro' him for that com- pleat Salvation which is offered in the Gofpel.— The op- pofite to juftifying Faith, is a fclf-righteous Spirit & Tem- per, whereby a Man, from a Conceit of and Reliance upon his own Goodnefsj is emboldened and encouraged to truft and hope in the Mercy of God. Heb. 10. 19. 23. Luk.i'^. 9 — 14. And accordingly, when fuchfee how bad they really are, their Faith fails, they naturally think that God can't find in his Heart to (hew Mercy to fuch. 8. Faith emboldens the Heart. In a legal Humiliation, which is antecedent to fpiritual Light, the Sinner is brought to a Kind of Defpair : The 1 hings, which ufed to embol- den him, do now entirely fail : He finds no Good in him- ielf ; yea, he feels himfelf dead in Sin •, and upon this, his Heart dies within him. / iias alive without the Law once ; but when the Commandme?it came. Sin revived^ and I diedy Rom. 7.9. And by fpiritual Light, in evangelical Hu- miliation, his undone Eilate in and of himfelf is made ftill more plain. — But now Faith emboldens the Heart, begets new Courage, lays the Foundation for a new Kind of Hope, a Hope fpringing entirely from a new Foundation. Heb. 10. 1 9. Having therefore Brethren,BOLDN^ss to enter iftto the Holiejlyby the Blood of Jefus. — Let us draw near with a true Heart trifullAffurance of Faith. — ByFaiththeHeart is embol- dened— I . T!o return home to God in Hopes of Acceptance. A fpiritual Sight and Senfe of the ineffable Beauty of the di- vine Nature, begets a Difpofition to look upon it the fitteft and happieft Thing in the World, to love God with all the Heart, and be entirely devoted to him for ever ; and inkin- dles an Inclination to return and everlaftingly give up and confecrate our feives unto him. ^' But may fvich a Wretch as 394 'T7^ue Religion delineated Dis. II. as I be the Lord's ? Will he accept me ?" Now the Be- liever, underftanding the Way of Acceptance by Chriil, and feeing the Safety of it, ventures his All upon this fure Foundation, and hereby is emboldened to return. Heb. II. 6. He that cometh to God mufi believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him. i. e. firft, He muft fee what God is, behold him in his Glory, or he can't in a genuine Manner defire to come to him : and fecondly, He muft fee that he is ready to be reconciled unto and to fave thofe, that from a genuine Defire to be his, do heartily return to him thro' the Mediator he has ap- pointed ; or elfe he will not dare to come. But when both thefe are feen and believed, now the Soul will return and come, and give up it felf to God, to be the Lord's for ever. — 2 . Faith in Chrift emboldens the Heart to look ro and truft in the free Grace of God thro' him, for allThings that juft fuch a poor Creature wants, even for all Things offered irrthe Gofpel to poor Sinners. Heb. 4. 16. Let us therefore come boldly to the 'Throne of Grace, that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace, Pardoning Mercy and fandli- fying Grace are the two great Benefits of the new Cove- nant : and thefe are the two great Thino;s which an in- lightned Soul feels the want of, and for which he is em- boldened to come to God by Jefus Chrift. — - / will be to them a God, and they fJoall be to me a People, faith the Lord in the new Covenant : and this is all my Salvatian, and all my Bejire, faith the Believer. 9. The Word Faith in Scripture is evidently u fed in various Senfes. Or thus, there are various different Exercifes of a godly Soul, all which in Scripture are called Faith. For I mean here to leave out all thofe Sorts of Faith fpoken of in Scripture, which the unregenerate Mah is capable of. — i . It is the Way of godly Men to live under a fpiritual Senfe of God, his Being and Perfedlions, and Government of the World, and the Glory, Reality and Importance of divine and eternal Things : even under fuch a living Senfe of thele Things, as that they zxt firmly believed, and are made to influence them as tho' they were feen. Hence they are faid to look at Things which are un- feenJ 2 Cor. 4, 1 8. To fee him whQ is invifible. Heb. 11.27. And and difiinguijhed from allCouitterfeits. 39.5 And are faid to walk 3j;Faith. 2 Cor. p^.^. And this feems to be the Meanmg of the Word Faith, as it is ufed in Heb. II. where we read of what Abel^ Enochs Noah^ Abra- ham^ Ifaac, Jacob J and Mofes^(^\6, by Faith. THt'ir Faith was theSubftance of iTbings' hoped for ^ and Evidence of Things not f ecu. i. e. It made divine and eternal Things as it were 'lubiill in all theirGlory and Importxince before theirMinds, . and appear as evident as tho' they v/ere feen. ^m . — 2 . It is the Way of godly Men to live under a fpiritual Senfe of die divineAll-fufficiency,whereby they are influenced ^rm/y to believe that God is .able to do all Things for theni,and be call to them, which they can pofTibiy Need in Time and to Eternity ; by all which, they are influenced to live in a Way of continual Dependance upon him for all Things. And this is what, in the Book of Pfalms- 2ind elfewhere, is called trufling in the Lord^ waiting and leaning upon the Ldrd^ making him our Refuge. This Temper is expreflfed in Pfal. 73. 25, 26. Whom have lin Heaven but thee ? And there is none upon Earth that I defire befide thee. My Flefh and my Heart faileth : But God is the Strength of my Hearty and my Portion for ever. And >^. 28. It is good for me to draw near to God : I have put my Trtifi in the Lord. — 3. It is the Way of godly Men to live under a fpiritual Senfe of God as the great Governour of the World, to whom it belongs to maintain. the Rights of the God-Head, and the Honour of the Law ; and under a Senfe of themfelves as poor Sinners, worthy only of Deftrudtion according to Law and Jufl:ice, and too bad to be pitied or to have any Mercy fliewn them without fome fufficient Salvo to the divine Honour ^ and under a Senfe of Chriil as a Mediator ap- pointed to be a Propitiation for Sin, to declare God's Righteoufnefs and fecure the divine Honour, and fo open a Way whereinGod might bejuft and yet juftify theSinner that believes in Jefus : even under fuch a living Senfe of thefe Things, as that they 2.vq firmly believed ; whereby they are influenced not to draw nigh to God in their own Names, emboldened by their own Goodnefs ; but only in the Name of Chrift, dependintg entirely upon him, and embolden'd only by his Worth and Merits, Media- tion and Interceflion, to lookTor Acceptance in the Sight of 396 True Religion delineated Dis. II. of God. Hence, becaufe of this Bependance^ they are faid to pray in Chrift's Name, Joh. 16. 23. To have accefs to God by him, Eph. 2.18. To come to God thro' him. Heb. 7.25. To believe in God by him. i Pet. i. 21. And are reprefented as being emboldened by his Worth and Merits, Mediation and Intercefrion,to approach the Majelly of Heaven. Heb. 4. 16. and 10. 19. And now this is called a cofningto Chhil. Joh. 7. 37. A receiving Kim. Joh. i. 12. A believing in Chrift. Joh. ^. 15, 16. A believing on Chrift. Joh. 3. 18, 36. A believing in his Name. Joh. i. 12. And a trusting in Chrift. Eph. i. 12, 13. And this is that ASi of Faith by which we are juftified and intitled to Life, as is evident from Rom. 3. 24, 25, 26. Where it is, by the Apoftle, called, Faith in ChrijVs Blood. The Apoftle confiders God as the righteous Governour of the World. {Chap, i. 18.) All Mankind as ht\n% guilty before God. {Chap. 3. 9 — 19.) Chrift as being fet forth to be a Propitiation for Sin. (y. 2 5. J 'That God might be jtfft and yet juftify &c. (y. 26.) And affirms that we 2irt juftified by free Grace thro' the Redemption that is in Jeftis thrift-. (f. 24. J By Faith without the Deeds of the Law. (/. 28.) Being confidered in our felves as ungodly. {Chap. 4. 5.) And this juftifying Faith he calls Faith in Chrift' s Blood \ becaufe it was principally by the Death of Chrift, that the Ends of moral Government were anfwered, and fo Law and Juftice fatisfied, and a Way opened for the honourable Exercife of divine Grace. But altho' the Word Faith be thus ufed in Scripture in thefe different Senfes, yet we are to remember that thefe various Exercifes of a godly Soul are connected together, and always concommitant with one another ; yea, and in feme Refpc6ts implied in each other, and perhaps fometimes all thefe Adings of Soul are defigned by the Word Faith •, neverthelefs they are evidently in their own Nature fo diftinft, as that they may be conceived of as diftin6t Adts of the Soul. » ■ And it may alfo be noted, that the two firit of thefe, viz. a firm .Belief of divine Truths^ and a hearty Reliance on the divine All-fufficiencyy ar^ A€ts of Faith cominon to Angek as well as Saints ; but the laft, which immediately refpedls Chrift asMcdiatbr, is peculiar to penitent, returning Sin- ners. and dijiinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 397 ners. The two firft are common to every holy Creature ; for all fuch do, in a firm Belief of divine Truths, live in an entire Dependance upon God the infinite Fountain of all Good : But the laft is peculiar lo/mful Creatures, who, becaufe they are /;/////, need a Mediator to make Way for the honourable Exercife of the divine Goodnefs towards them. Thofe, that never were Sinners, may receive all Things, from the free Grace and Self-moving Goodnefs of the dtvine Nature, without a Mediator. But thofe, that have been Sinners, perhaps will receive all thro' a Media- tor, to Eternity. 10. A Heart to love God fupremely, live to him ulti- mately, and delight in him fupcrlatively,to love ourNeigh^ bours as our felves, to hate every falle Way ; to be hum- ble, meek, weaned from the World, heavenly- minded ; to be thankful for Mercies, patient under Afflictions, to love Enemies, to forgive Injuries ; and in all Things to do as v/e v/ould be done by • A Heart for ail this, I fay, is al- ways in exad Proportion to the Degree of true Faith. For the fameViewsofourownWretchednefs, of God, ofChrift, pf the Way of Salvation by free Grace thro' him, of the Glory, Reality and Importance of divine & eternal Things, which lay the Foundation for true Faith, and always ac- company the Exercife of Faith, do at the fame Time lay the Foundation for this divine Temper. And befides,this divine Temper is what every true Believer feels to be the fitted and happieil Thing in the World, and as fuch longs for it, and goes to God to have it increafed 8c ftrengthned ; and being unworthy to go in his own Name, * he goes in , ChriiVs * Unvjorthy to go in his o^n Name. As thus, if in Prayer I offer up this Petition, " Lord, enable me to love thee with all my Heart :" It im- plies, ( I ) That I don t love God with all my Heart, notwithftanding the infinite Obligations I am under to do fo ; for which Defed I atm infinitely to Blame, and deferve an infinite Punilhment, to be inftantly driven from GodV Prefence for ever, and fpurned to Hell as a Crea- ture fit only for Defti^aiion. (2.) It implies that all the external Ma- nifeftations which God has made of himfelf to mc in his Works and Word, and all the external Means he has ufcd with me, are not able to win my Heart wholly to Go^.y fo great is my Sott^Qinefs and Aliena- . tion from the D^ity, and love to the V,^orld and Sir.. And now furcly 98 'True Religion delifieatei' Dis. il. Chrift's Name : So that the obtaining more and more of this divine Temper is one main End ot his exercifing Faith in Chrift. And v/hatfoever he afks the Father in Chrift's Name, he receives ^ God is readier to give liis holy Spirit to fuch a one, than Parents be to give Bread to their Chil- dren. Joh. 16.2^, Mr.t.y. 11. And therefore every true Behever does obtain the End of his Faith ; and not only has, but grows in this divine Temper, and is governed by it, and bnngs forth Fruit according to it : and thus fbsws his Faith by his IVorks^ according to St. James's Doth'm^. 'Jam. 2. And Ijereinr true Faith (lands diftinguillied from all Counterfeits. Never had a Flypocrite a fpiritual Senfe of that ineffable Beauty of the divine Nature, which lies at the Foundation of all the Experiences of the true Saint, and from whence ail true Flolinefs originally fprings. The Formalift may, from legal Fears and mercenary Hopes, be fo ftrict and confciencious in his Ways, as to think himfelf a choice good Man : and the Enthufiaft^ from a firm Per- fwafion of the Pardon of his Sins and the Love of Chrift, may befo full of Joy and Love, Zeal and Devotion, as to think himfelf a moll eminent Saint : but there is nothing of the Nature of true Holinefs in either ; for it is Self and nothing but Mf\ that is the Principle,Center and End of all their Religion. They do not believe in Chrift, that thro' him they may return Home to God, and be confccrated to him for ever, and obtain Grace to do all his Will. They don't know God, or care for him, but are wholly taken up about their own Intereft. That Moravian Maxim, " That *' Salvation conftils in the Forgivenefs of Sins," exhibits the true Picture of the Heart of the beft Hypocrite in the World ; furely fuch a vile Wretch can't have a Thought of any Mercy from God on the Account of any Goodnefs in me ; yea, rather I am too bad to be pitied, unlefs there be fonie fufficient Salvo 10 the divine Honour. How therefore can God give me the greateft of Gifts, even the fandlifying Influences of his holySpirit, but thro' the greatMe- diator, confiftent with his Honour as moral Governour of the World. Now therefore being thus unworthy to go to God in my own Name, I go in Chrift's Name; as knowing that thro' him God can exerciic his infinite, felf-moving Goodnefs to the vileft of Creatures, confiftent with his Honour : altho' Law and Jultice call for their immediate Dcftrudion, confidered a? in themfclves. and dijiinguij}jed from all Counterfeits. 399 World ; while that in iCor. 3. 18. is peculiar to theGodiy, Ji^e all imth open Face beholding, as in a Glafs the Glory of the Lord^ are changed into the fame Image ^ from Glory to Glory, ' II. and laftly, In true Believers there is a Principle of Faith, which abides and grows and perfeveres to the End* That fpiritual Senfe of God, of themlelves, of Chrifl, and of the Gofpel-Way of Salvation thro' him, which lays the foundation for the firfl A6t of Faith, becomes habitual. They have a fpiritual Underftanding to difcern fpiritual Tilings. \Cor. 2.12. They \Ntxt qi\ctBarknefs^ but are now Light in.the Lord : And hence they .arc called Children cf the Light and of the Day. Eph., 5. 8. 1 Thef. c^. ^. Spiri- tual Light does, not come upon Believers like Flafhes of Lightnifig. at Midnight, now. and then a Flalh, and then as dark as ever again : But their Light is habitual, like Day Light. And from the firfl Dawning of divine Light at the Hour of Converfion, that Day-break of Heaven, their Light flmies 7): ore and more ^ Year afterYear, to the f erf e^ Day, Frov. 4. 18. The flying Clouds in the Day Time, altho' they may hide the clear Ihiningof the Sun for a While, yet they don't make it dark as in the Night ; yea, the thickeft, darkeft Clouds are not able to do it. Believers are never deilituteof a fpiritual Senfe of God and Chrift and divine Things, as other Men be. . They are Children of the Light and of the Day,, and not of \}ci^'Night and of Darknefs, The Spirit of God does not come upon them by Fits, as it did upon Balaam \ but dwells in them. Rom. 8.9. And they^r^'zx; in Grace,, and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrifi. 2 Pet. 3. 18. If at any Time they fhould have no more Senfe of divine Things than the Unregenerate, they would be as much without Grace : They would not differ from the Stony-Ground- Hearers,, \AsQ fell away. — And now their divine Light be- ing thus habitual, growing and perfevering ; hence their Faith is fo tgo, Thro' the Courfe of their Lives, it is their Way, to grow more and more fenfible of their Sinfulnefs, the Sinfulnefs of Sin, their Unworthinefs, Ill-defert, Po- verty, and abfolute Need of free Grace and of Jefus Chrift. And they alfo fee more and more. into the Gofpel Way of Salvation, the Glory and Safety of it, its Sui:abknefs to exalt 400 True Religion delineated Dis. 11. exalt God, magnify the La\V, difcountenance Sin, humble the Sinner, and glorify Grace •, and more and more come off from all Self- Depend ance, to an entire Reliance upon JefusChrill and the free Grace of God thro' him : Seeking- to be found not in themfelves, but in Chrift ; not as hav- ing on their own Righteoufnefs, but his. Fhil. 3. 7, 8, 9. They more fully approve of the Law of Nature and of the originalConftitution withy^^^w,as being holy, juft & good : They more fully get into a Way of looking upon them- felves as God does •, as being naturally and in themfelves fallen, finful, guilty, juftly condemned, helplefs & undone. They fee more and more of their infiniteObligation to per- fedl Holinefs, and of the Reafonablenefs of eternalDamna- tion being threatned for the leafl Sin, and of the InfufRci- ency of all their beft Doings to make any Satisfadlion for Sin. The Grace of God as revealed in the Gofpel, appears more rich and free and wonderful. They feel more and more of their Need of Chrift, his Worth and Merits, Me- diatlorr and Interceflion ; and of their utter Unfitnefs to approach theMajefty of Heaven any other Way but by him. They feel themfelves more full of Wants, and farther off from anyWorthinefs to receive, and yet more and more in- to the Temper of humble Beggars, and into a Way of com- ing to God more entirely in Chrift's Name. — At firftCon- verfion fuch aTemper begins, & this Temper grows like the Muftard-Seed,and fpreads like the Leaven^^ind is like a JVell of lrvinglVate)\ which is never dry, but is fprhiging wp into everla fling Life. Mat. 13. 31 — 33. Joh. 4. 14, — And thiiis the true Believer abides in Cbriff, as a living Branch dees in the Vine, Joh. 15. And lives the Life he lives in the Flefh^hy Faith on the Son of God, Gal. 2. 20. Being kept i^ythePower cfGod^ thro* Faith mto Salvation, i Pet. i. 5. And this is the Thing (I may obferve by the Way) which makes Grace in the Heart more plainly difcernabJc, and it's Difference from all Counterfeits more clearly manifcft, and which therefore clears up to Believers the fpiritualState of their Souls, anfwers all Doubts, removes all Difficulties, and brings them to be fettled and fatisfied as to their good Eftate. Many fpend their Lives in fearching whether their Law-work was right, whether their firft A£f of Faith was and dijlinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 40 r was right, &c. But there is nothing like growing in Grace, to put it out of Doubt that we have Grsce, and to keep our Evidences clear. And indeed this is the only Way. 2 Fet, I. 5 — 10. And thus we fee in general wherein a genuine Compli- ance with the Gofpel does confift, and particularly what is the Nature of a faving Faith. And from what has been faid, we may be able to diftinguilh true Faith from every Counterfeit. Particularly, from what has been faid, we may eafily fee the Falfenefs of thefe two Sorts of Faith, whereby Thoufands are deceived and ruined. I . l^he legal Hypocrite's Faith ; who being entirely de- void of the divine Life, and of thofe fpiritual Views of God, of himfelf, of Chrifl, and of the Way of Salvation, which the true Believer has, is only animated by Self-love, the Fear of Hell and the Hope of Heaven, to attend upon the external Duties of Religion, and to try to love God and be fincere,in Hopes of Acceptance in the Sight of God, if he endeavours to do as well as he can. He thinks, God has promifedto accept fuch, and that it would not be juft for God to require more of him than he can do. He does not fee how bad he is, he hates to think of lying at the mere Mercy of God, and can't endure the Dodtrine of di- vine Sovereignty ; he is quite infenfible of his Need of free Grace and of Jefus Chrift : However,he fays, he trulls wholly in the Merits of Chrift for eternal Life, and does not pretend to merit any Thing by all his Doings. And thus being quieted with the Hopes of Heaven, he goes on in the Rounds of Duty, a Stranger to real Com- munion with God, and to all the Exercifes of the divine Life. He does Duties enough juft to keep his Confcience quiet, and has Faith enough juft to keep him from feeing that he refts entirely upon his own Righteoufnefs : and by the Means his Duties and his Faith ferve only to keep him. fecure in Sin, and infenfible of his periihing Need of Jefus Chrift and of converting Grace. Let me expoftulate theCafe a little with fuch a one. And Firjt^ Can a Man fincerely comply with the Gofpel, when at the fame Time he does not cordially approve of the Law as holy, juft and good, feeing the Gofpel in its whole • ' D d Conftitutioa 402 %'u^ Religion delineated Dis, II. Conftitution is evidently founded upon that Suppofition ? You don't like the Law •, you think, it is unjull. The Law requires you to love God with all your Heart, ( Mat. 22. 37.) and threatens Damnation for^the lead Sin : {Gal, 3. 10.) But you fay, it is notjuft for God to require more than you can do, and then damn you for not doing. But now the Gofpel does not mean to make void this Law, but to ejlablijh it. Rojn. 3. 31. It would be impofiible there- fore, if you did but rightly underfland the Cafe, that you Ihould like the Gofpel any better than you do the Law. — And fecandly^ Do you think that God will pardon you, when at the fame Time you will not acknowledge the Law to be holy, jufl and good, by which you (land condemned ^ What, pardon you, when you juftify yourfelf, & condemn his Law ! What,pardon you,when you won't own you need a Pardon ! Yea,when you Hand to it, it would not be fair to punilh you ! Yea, when you are ready to fly in the very Face of the Law and of the Lawgiver, and to cry out, I)2juftice^htjuftice! No, no, proud, ilubborn, guilty Wretch, you muft come down firft, and lie in the Dull before the Lord, and approve the Law in the very Bottom of your Heart, and own theSentence juft, by which you {land con- demned. Luk, 18. 13. Rom. 3. 19. You muft come down and own the Law to be good, or elfe God muft come down and own the Law to be bad. Or if God infifts upon it that the Law is holy, juft and good, and you ftill infift upon it that it is not •, it is impoffible that God ihould pardon you, or that there ftiould be any Reconciliation. God muft of Neceflity hate you, becaufe you hate his Law ; and you will for ever hate God, for making fuch a Law. And thirdly^ How can you pretend all this while, to truft only in Chrift for Pardon and eternal Life ; when-as it is plain, from your own Words, you fee no Need of Chrift ? For if, as you fay, " God can't juftly require any more of you " than you can do i" what do you w^ant Chrift for ^ You can do enough your felf. Do you want Chrift to make Satistadlion for your Short- comings and Imperfedions ? But, according to your Scheme, God can't require any more Satisfadlion than you can make your felf : for this J?9^^ ^^, ^^ require more than you cau do, and to damn a72d dijlingiiijhed fro7n all Cou7tterfeiis. 403 you for not doing. Do you want him to purchafe the Favour of God and eternal Life ? But you can do all that God can require : for you can do, what you can do, and that, according to your Scheme,is all that God can require. Or do you want Chrifl to purchafe an Abatement of the Law ? But if Chrifl had never died, you don't think, that God could in Juftice require more of you than you can do. What Need therefore, upon your Scheme, was there of Chriil ? And did he not die in vain ? For if Righteoufnefs come* by the Lazv^ then Chrift is dead in. vain. Gal. 2. 21. Now, can your Faith in Chriil be any more than a mere Fanc)\w\i^ii-2i^ it is evident you fee no Need of him ? And ht^idits^ fourthly y What Good does yourFaith do you ? Does it work by Love? Y)ots it purify your Heart ? Does it overcome the World 'i Why, nothing lefs. It only fervcs to keep you fecure and quiet in an unrenewed State, an^ to make you hope all is weil,while you keep on in a Round of external Duties, Strangers to God and the divine Life, In a Word, your Duties and your Faith join together to keep Ccnfcience. afleep, and to render you infenfible of your Need of Chriil and of convertingGrace. i^^w. 9.30,31,32. Oh, how fad it is, fo manyThoufands fhould be deceived in fo plain a Cafe ! It can furely be attributed to nothing Ibortof this, that Afe love Barknefs rather than Light -^ they love to frame fuch a Scheme of Religion in their Heads » as fuits the Temper of their Hearts. And becaufe their Scheme fuits them, therefore they firmly believe it to be divine. But to proceed, 2. From what has been faid, we may eafily fee the Falfenefs of the evangelical Hypocrite's Faith ; who,altho' he makes a much greater Shew, and is more confident, yet has not a Jot better Foundation. — He has been greatly awaken'd perhaps, and terrified, and feemingly brought off from his own Righteoufnefs and humbled, and then has received great Light and Comfort, and has had many aa^ Hour of Joy and Ravifhment. — For thus v/as the Cate *~ In the Depth of his Darknefs and Sorrow, Light fhincd all around him-, and to his thinking,he fawHeaveii opened, and the Lord fitting upon his Throne, and Chrifl at his right Hand, and heard thofe Words, Comey? bleffed of my D d 2 Father y 404 *True Religion delineated Dis. II. Father^ inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foun- dation of the JVorld : Be of good Chear, thy Sins are forgiven : Fear not^ little Flock^ 'tis my Father's good Pleafure to give you the Kingdom. Oh thou affii5led^ toffed with ^e^npcfls, ami not comfort edy behold^ I will lay thy Stones with fair Colours ^^c. — Or, it may be, he faw Chrift on the Crofs, with his Blood running from his Side and Hands and Feet. Or, perhaps he faw a Light in his Chamber. — It may be, he had one Scripture, and it may be ten or twenty going, until he was as full as he could hold, and even reajdy to cry, Lord^ftay thy Hand. As to all thefe Things, there is an endlefs Variety. But in the following Particulars there is a greater Agreement, (i.) They have a Difcovery of Chriit's Love to them in pa?'ticular^ that he died for them in particular, that their Sins are pardoned, &c. (2.) The Ellence of their firft Ad of Faith confiils in a firm Per- fuafion, that their Sins are forgiven, that Chrift died for them in particular, or the like. (3.) All their after-Difco- veries and after- Ads of Faith are of the fame Nature with the firft. (4.) This Faith, from a Principle of Self-love, naturally fills them full of Joy and Love and Zeal, & lays the Foundation of all their good Frames, and of all their Religion. (5. )Doubting theGoodnefs of theirState,when they are dead & carnal,is in their AccountUnbelief, &agreatSin, and to be watched & prayed againft, as aThing of the mofl deftrudtiveTendency. — Now,fome who have a fewDifcove- ries,do in a fewMonths lofe all their Religion, and come to feel & live much like the reft of the World. — Others hold out longer. — Some, after they have lain dead one,tvvo,three, five ortcnYearSjjuft as it happens,v/illhave what they call a new Difcovery, and be as full as ever. — While others con- tinue in their irreligious Courfes. And here I may obferve, (i.) That the greater Difcove- ries (as they call them) they have, the more proud & con- ceited they be, and the more do they want to have all the Town admire them. — (2.) The longer they continue to be lively, the more do they grow in Pride and Sclf-Righteouf- nefs j and feeling themfelves to be exceedingGood, they are emboldened to make very free with the Almighty, as being his peculiar Favourites, and the b^ of Men. Godt and dijiinguijhed from all Counterfeits. 40 5 I thank thee^ I am not as other Men, — C3.) And yet 'tis na- tural to efteem themfelves fome of the moll humble Crea- tures in the World. — ('4.) It is impoflible to convince them of their Error. Becaufe the immediate Witnefs of the Spirit of God, as they think, afllires them that they are right : And therefore all that don't look upon Things and feel juft as they do, are certainly blind and carnal ♦, and fo not to be regarded : They are bound to believe God before Man. Urge Scripture againil them, and they are unmoved ; becaufe the Spirit does not tell them that it means fo : The plaineft Texts are not regarded, if contrary to their Spirit. Urge Reafon againil them, and demonllrate a Point ever fo clearly, and they are unmoved •, becaufe that is all carnal Reafon. Take much Pains with them, and be ever fo kind ^nd friendly, and they are the more eflaMifhed \ becaufe they think they are ferfecuted. Or, if they are fometimes Ihocked and almoft convinced, yet they are in a few Day^ more fettled than ever, by a new Difcovery and a Multi- tude of Scriptures,mifapplied by thePrince of Darknefs, af- furing them that they are right. And now they refolve never to doubt again, and get invincibly fet in their Way, (5.) If after a While they lofe all their Religion, and are dead, and lie dead for whole Months and Years together, yet ftill they are as confident as ever. " For, fay they, ** David and Solomon and Peter fell, and the befl are dead *' fometimes, and how long a goodMan may lie dead none *' can tell ; God may leave his Children out of Sovereign- " ty, and without Chrift we can do Nothing ; we muft *' wait for the Spirit, and not call God's Faithfulnefs into Queftion becaufe of our Deadnefs, as if his Faithfulnefs depended upon our good Frames." And fo now having, as they fuppole, Chrifl to pardon their Sins and fave their Souls, and fome Lull to content their Hearts, they fleep on fecure and quiet. Or, if they are terrified at any Time and begin to Doubt, 0 thou of little Faithy wherefore dofi thou Doubt ? Or fome fuch Scripture, will quiet and huih all to fleep again. And thus, and after this Sort, Things go with them. And now out of fuch rotten Hearts grow up all the Antinomian^Familiftic and §uakerifh Errors which have troubled the Chriftian Church. For they get their D d 3 Principles cc 4o6 True Religion delineated Dis. 11. Principles of Religion, not out of the Bihh^ but out of their Experiences : and are careful to cut out a Scheme, in their Heads, to fuit the Religion of their Hearts : And becaufe it fuits them, therefore they firmly believe it. And becaufe their Scheme is not rational., and cannot bear to be examin- ed by Reafon \ therefore they cry down Reafon^ and fay it is carnal : And they cry down humanLearning ; and the more ignorant, the more devout. And becaufe their Scheme is not contained in the Scriptures., therefore they have no Regard to the plain Meaning of Scripture, but turn all into Allegories., and what they call thtfpiritual Meaning ; and fo run into a Hundred Whims, fuch as befl fuits with the Temper of their Hearts. Now the great Mifery of this Sort of Hypocrites is,that notwithftanding all their Terrors ; yet they were never thoro'ly convinced of their fallen, finful, guilty, undone Eftate by Nature. And notwithftanding ail their Difco- veries ; yet they are ftill fpiritually blind, and neither know God, nor Themfelves, nor Chrift, nor the Gofpel-Way of Salvation by free Grace thro' him. And notwithftanding all their Confidence and Joy and high religious Frames ; yet they are as deftitute of Faith, Repentance andHolinefs, as ever they were. And 'tis a LIE, which the Father of Lies has made them believe, which lies at the Bottom of all their Religion, and is the very Foundation of it all. All their pureft Joy and Love and Zeal arife from their Faith. All their Faith confifts in believing that theirSins are forgiven. And all the Foundation which their Faith is originally built upon,is din immediate Revelation : TheTruth of which, they dare not call in Queftion, for fear of giving the Lie to the HolySpirit, from v/hom,they fay, they know it came.— But how could the Spirit of God reveal it to them, that Chrif loved t hem ^ and that theirSins were forgiven, and htrc- by lay the Foundation for their Jirjl AH: of Faith, when -as hefore the firfi A^ of Faith, they were a^iially under Con- demnation., the IVrath of God., and the Ctafe of the Law ? Joh. 3. 18,36. Gal. 3. 10. The Thing revealed to them was not true -, and therefore was not from God, but from the Devil. — Now this falfe Revelation laid theFoundation for their Faith, and their Faith laid tlieFoundatioii for their anddijlinguipoed from all Counterfeits, 407 Joy, and for all their Religion. — A fpiritual Sight and di- vine Senfe of the great truths prefuppofed and revealed in the Gofpel, is the Foundation of the godly Man's Faith and Holinefs ; but a particular Thing no where revealed in the Bible is their Foundation : Yea, 2.FalJhood that is direftly contrary to what the Scriptures plainly teach. And yet alas, they know they are right ; they are, they fay, as certain of it as they be of their own Exiftence. How great is the Power of Delufion ! How awful is the Cafe of a poor Creature forfaken of God ! 2 Thef. 2. 10, 11, 12. They received not the Love of the Truth, that they might he faved. And for this Caufe Godfhall fend them firongDelufion^ that they fhould believe a LIE : That they all might be damned j who believed not the Truth ^but hadPleafure in Unrighteoufnefs^ But to conclude, From what has been faid concerning theNature of a true Faith and a genuine Compliance with the Gofpel, we may not only fee the Falfenefs of thefe two Sorts of Faith, but alfo of all other Counterfeits, which are almoft in an endlefs Variety. For between thefe two Extremes of a legal and evangelical Hypocrite, there lies a Thoufand Bye-Paths, in which poor Sinners wander to everlafting Perdition ; in the mean while bleflTing themfelves, that they are neither Arminians nor Antinomians ; nor deluded as fuch and fuch be : Altho' they neither know God, nor Themfelves, nor Chrift, nor the Way of Salvation thro' him ; and really are as deftitute of Faith, Repentance and Holinefs, as tht moft deluded Creature in the World. Section VIIL Shewing what is implied in the Everlast 11^ G Life promifed to Believers^ and how Faith inter ejis us in Christ. ."1 , I am now in the laft PRce, ^ y. To confidcr the Promife of Everlafting Life^ which is in the Gofpel made to true Believers. God fo loved the tVqxldy that he^ gave his only begotten ^onythat whofoever be- D d 4 lieveth 4o8 True Religion delineated Dis. II, lieveth in him jhquld not Perish, hut have everlasting Life. — In this tverlafting Life is implied, 1 . The everlajling Love and Favour of God. Vvliere^s hy the Difobedience of One many were made Sinners^ andjudg^ went came upon all to Condemnatio7t^ by Virtue of the origi- nal Conftitution with ^i(^;;2. Rom. 5. 18, 19. And whereas by and according to the Law of Nature the whole World fiands Guilty before God. Rom. 3. 19. Now, by Virtue of a new Conftitution, eftablilhed by the God of Heaven, the great Governour of the World, called the Gofpel or Cove- nant of Grace, it is appointed and as it were confirmed by the broad Seal of Heaven, that any, whofoever they be, a- mong ail the guilty Race of Adam^ who fall in with this Gofpel-Propofal, and venture their All upon this newPlan, this newFoundation, this preciousCorner-Stone JefusChrifi, the great Mediator betweenGod and Man, fhall thence for h jfland free from that double Condemnation, and be intitied unco the everlafting Love and Favour of God, the great Governour of the World. Joh. 3. 18. Rom. 5. i, 2. nere- fore being jufiified by Faith we have Peace with God^ thro^ our Lord Jefus thrift . By whom alfo we have Acctfs by Faith into this Grace wherein we ft and., and rejoyce in Hope of the Glory of God. 2. The other Part of this everlafling Life confiils in and refults from the everlafling Indwelling of the holy Spirit as a San5fifier, This, which Ada^n loll by the Fail, is, upon our Union with Chrill the fecond Adaniy by Virtue of this newConltitution, reilored, never to be loft any more. Joh. 7.38. He that helieveth on me., as the Scripture faith •, out of his Belly fhall flow Rivers of living Water, if. 39. This fpake he of the Spirit^ which they that believe on himfhould receive. And therefore the Gift of the Holy Ghoft, is, by tlieApoftles, (A^. 2. 38.) promifed upon tlie Condition of Faith.* And therefore * From the Nature 0^ juji'if)hig Taithy It is evident, that /?^^^«^r^/(3« ftiuH be prior to the firfl Adl of it ; but aUho' the Sinner be regeneratedhy the gracious Muences of the holy Spirit before Faith, yet it is after Faith and Union with Chrift that the Soul has a Covenant -Right io the Indwelling of the holy Spirit ; which Co'vevant -Right lays a Foun- dation for the Indwelling of the holy Spirit to be cojifant and e'ver- lajUng ; and this lays a Foundation for an abiding Principle and proper Htibit and dijiinguijhedfrom all Counterfeits. 409 therefore as God did of old dwell in the Holy of Holies in the Jcwijh Temple, in the Cloud of Glory j fo now henceforth does he dwell in the Believer's Heart by his holy Spirit, as a vital Principle and Spring of divine Life there. Job, 15. i — 5. And hence Believers are called //6tf Temple of God. i Cor. 3. 17. Tlire Spirit of God is faid to dwell in them. Rom. 8. 9. to lead them. ^^ 14. to give them an everlafting Freedom from the Power of Sin. f. 2. So t\i2X Sin pall not haveDominion over them. Rom. 6. 14. And the Water (fays Chrift) which 1 will give you., fb all be in you a Well of Water ff ringing up into everlafting Lif e.Joh. 4. 14. It is plain from the whole Tenour of the Gofpel,that the everlafting Love and Favour of God^ together with the ever- lafting Indwelling of the holy Spirit as a San^ifier., which are the two great Things which a poor Sinner wants, are the two great Things promifed in the Covenant of Grace. St.- Paul having explained the Nature of the Gofpel-Way of- Salvation by free Grace thro' Jefus Chrift, and fhewn that Faith is the only Condition of the new Covenant, in the four firfl Chapters of his Epiftle to the Romans \ proceeds to fhew the Benefits accruing to Believers. Andftrft, they are juftifted, and have Peace with God. Chap. 5. Secondly, they are delivered from the Power of Sin. Chap. 6. And altho' they are in this Life continually in aState of fpiritual Confli6fcand Warfare. Chap. 7. Yet they are influenced and led and governed by theSpirit of God which dwells in them;^; Chap. 8. And now all Things (hall work for their Good, and they fhall be brought to Glory at laft. ;^. 28 — 39. So again, fee both thefe fummed up in Heb. 8. 10, ii, 12. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the Houfe of Ifrael after thofe Days., faith the Lord -, I will put my Laws into their Mind^ and write them in their Hearts : And I will he to them a God^ and they fhall he to me a People, And they fhall not teach every Man his Neighbour., and every Man his Brother, faying^ Know the Lord j for all fhall know me, from theleaft to the greateft, — Here is the everlafting Indwelling Hahii of Grace. So that altho' Regeneration ht Before Faithr, yet '» confirmed Habit of Grace is after. It refults from our Union with Chrift,. Joh. 15. X— r5. ; And is in Scripture promiicd upon theConv ^i^pn of Faith, Joh. 5. 24, ^ 7. 3^. 410 True Religion delineated Dis. If. of the holy Spirit, together with what refults therefrom. — f. 12. For I will be merciful unto their Unrighteoufnefs, and their Sins aud their Iniquities will 1 remember no more. — And here is the everlafting Love and Favour of God. And now feeing by this new Conftitution, this Covenant of Grace, true Behevers are thus intitled to the everlafting Love and Favour of God, and to the everlafting Indwelling of the holy Spirit as San6lifier,in the perfedEnjoyment of both which, eternal Life, in Heaven, will confift : Hence therefore they are faid to have Life^ yea, to to have eternal Life, immediately upon their believing in Chrift. i Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son, hath Life. Joh. -3. 36. He thaf helieveth on the Son, hath everlasting Life. Joh. 5. 24. Hath everlasting Life, and foall not come into Condem- -nation \ hut is faffed from Death unto Life. Joh. 17. 3. ^his /VLiFE ETERNAL, that they might knovo thee, the only true God, and Jefus Chrifl whom thou hafi fent. Eternal Life is begun in them, and Heaven begins to dawn in their Souls. And Believers being thus made the Subjefls of the ever- lafting Love and Favour of God,. and of the everlafting In- dwelling of the holy Spirit, they are hence called the Chil- dren of God. Joh. I. 12. For God loves them as Children., and they love him as a Father, Andthis///^/ Frame of Spirit ^ whereby they are difpofed to reverence, fear, love, truft in and obey God as a Father, live upon him and live to him as a Father ; I fay, this filial Frame of Spirit is called the Spirit of Adoption, in Oppofition to xhix. fervile Frame of Spirit they ufed to be under the Bondage of, before Faith, and before they had received the holy Ghofi. Rom. 8. 15. For ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear ; but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption^ whereby we cry., Abba, Father. And this filial Frame of Spirit hting peculiar to Believers, that which none but Believers have, and which yet is com- mon to all Believers ; and this filial Frame of Spirit being that wherein Believers bear the Image of their heavenly Fa- ther, each one refembling the Children of a King : For they view Things according to their Meafure, as God does, and love what he loves, and make his Intereft their Intereft, and and dtjlinguipoeh from all Counterfeits. 411. and arc taken up with the fame Defigns : I fay, this filial Frame of Spirit being fuch 2, peculiar and remarkable Thing, and that wherein they fo nearly refemble God,& being alfo the immediate Product of the Indwelling and Influence of the holy Spirit, therefore in Scripture it is fpoken of as the diftinguifliing Badge of a true Believer, as a Mark whereby God's Children & Chrift's Sheep are to be known. This is what is called the Seal of the Spirit^ in Eph. i . 1 3. And this Seal is the Witnefs^ Evidence and Proof ^\i\c\i the holy Spi- rit gives to our ConfcienceSy that we are the Children of God, Rom. 8. 16. This filial Frame of Spirit is what fatisfies and azures the Children of God. They feel the very Tem- per of Children towards God. They feel a Heart to reve- rence & fear, love & honour him as a Father j a Heart to go to him, to truft in him,to be in Subje6tion to him &obey him,as aFather. Andby this they knowtheyare hisChildren. Marvellous is the Change, v/hich the poor Sinner paiTes thro', in that awful Hour of inexprelTible Solemnity, when he firft comes into the awful Prefence of the dreadMajefty of Heaven & Earth, thro' Jefus Chrift, the glorious Mediator, venturing his ALL for ETERNITY upon this fureFoun- dation. And now fromthisTime forward,he is quite another Creature, under quite new Circumflances. As when Or- phan Children, left without a Guardian or a Guide, from running Riot and indulging themfelves in all Extravagan- ces, are taken and brought into the Family of a wife and good Man, and are made his Children : he inftills new Principles and a new Temper into them, and puts them under a new Difcipline, and all Things are new to them. So, here, from being without God and withoutHope in the World, and from running to eternal Ruin, we are taken and are brought into God's Family, have a new Temper given to us, have a new Father, and are under a new Go- vernment. God's fatherly Eye is upon us every Hour, and he is daily labouring to bring us up to his Hand, to train us up to his Mind, to make us fuch as he would have us be. He contrives and takes all Manner of Ways, by his Spirit, & by his Providence, and by his Word, to make us more ferious, fpiritual and heavenly, more humble, weaned from the World and devoted to God. And thus He 412 7rue Religion delineated Dis. II. He purgeth uSy that we may bring forth more Fruit. Job. 15.2. He enlightens, he leads, he teaches, he quickens, he flrengthens,he comforts us. //6'^. 8. 10, 11, 12. Ifai. 4.0. 31. When we want it, he inftruds us. i jfoh. 2.27. Ja?n i. 5. When we want it, he corredts us. Heb. 12.6. And when we need it, he encourages and comforts us. 2 Cor. 12. 9. When we love him and keep his Commands, he manifefts himfelf unto us. Joh. 14. 21. And when our fpiritual Enemies are too llrong for us, and our Heart and our Strength fails, our Steps are Hipping, our Feet juft gone ; in the diftreffing Juncture he puts underneath his everlaft- ing Arms, he takes us by the right Hand, he prevents us by his Grace -, and e'er we are aware, we have gotten the Vidory, and begin to fay, IFhom have we in Heaven hut thee ? And there is none on Earth we deftre hefides thee. OurFleJh ^ ourHfart faileth.butGcdistheStrengthofourHeart^ end our Portion for ever : And O, // is good for us to draw 7iear to God. Pfal. y^. And if at any Time we forfake him, he follows after us, and vijits cur Tranfgrejions with the Rody and our Iniquities with Stripes •, but never breaks his Covenant with us. Pfal. Z(^. 30 — 34. He hedges up our Way with Ihorns., & brings us to a hearty Return. Hof 2, 6, 7. And thus we are kept by the Power of God thro^ Faith unto Salvation. 1 Pet. i. 5. And finally afe brought to the full Vifionr and perfed Fruition of God to all Eternity. Rom. 8. 30. Now Faith m Chrift intitles us to all this, by Virtue of that divine Conftitution, which we call the Gofpel or Cove- nant of Grace-, by Virtue of that new and living Way of Salvation, which God the great Governour of the World has contrived and provided, ratified and confirmed, the Sum of which is contained in Joh. ^.16. Which Confti- tution God has been pleafed to confirm by an Oath, to the Intent w^ might have Strong Confola^ion^ who have fed for Refuge^ to lay hold on the Hope fet before us. He has faid. He that believeth fhall be faved^ and he has confirmed it by an Oath^ to remove all Doubt, and to give the highelt p'Oflible AiTurance, Heb. 6. 17, 18, And now being afllir* ed that this Way of Salvation may be depended upon, a*^ being contrived and confirmed by God himfelf j hence, here and dijlinguijljed from ail Cotmterfeifs. 413 here we reft fecure and fafe. — We know that this new Conftitution muft be from God, becaufe the whole Plan is aJtogcthcr divine : It is juft like God : God can't but be plealed with it : It is perfe6lly fuitcd to exalt God, to magnify the Law, to difcountenance Sin, to humble the Sinner and to glorify Grace: and if Sinners are ever faved, it is infinitely lit that they fhould be faved in fuch a Way, and in no other. There is fuch an apparent Refem- blance of the divineNature &Perfe6lions in this wholePlan, as is fufficient to afTure theHeart that it is from God. None but God could be the Author of it. 2 Cor. 4. 3, 4, 6. — And being in thcfirft Place, afilired that it is from God : We have, in the fecond Place, the higheft AfTurance that God will abide by it and ad according to it. For/r/?, we have his Proniife •, and fecondly, \yq have his Oa^b : So that there can be no reafonable" Doubt remaining. — And now upon this Foundation does the true Believer build all his Hopes and Expedlations, here is the Bottom of all. For if I am afTured, that, by divine Grace, I do rightly under- ftand the Gofpel, and am brought to a genuine Compliance therewith ; now then I am fife, if the Gofpel be TRUE, and if that Way of Salvation may CERTAINLY be de- pended on, if it be no cunningly devifedFahle, but a Way of God's own Contrivance, and which he will CERTAINLY abide by. A clear, rational, fpiritual Convidlion and AfTu- rance of this, is the very Anchor of the Souk fure andfledfaft, Heb. 6. 19. If Mankind had remained in a State o^ pure Nature, i. e. under no Conftitution at all, under nothing but merely the La'-j) of Nature^ i. e. To have been guided and diredled to their Duty, and to have been rewarded or punifhed by God, only and merely by and according to the Reafon and Nature of Things : If this had been the Cafe, then fo long as every Individual fhould be continued inBeing by God, and fhould continue to love God with all his Heart, and obey him in every Thing ; fo long every Individual would be perfedly. happy. But then, God might without Injuflicc let one or all drop into Non-Exiftence, if he pleafed, and, when he pleafed, altho' pcrfedly holy. J^i' 22. 2. & ZS-lfJ^. Or, if he- was pleafed to continue one and allmgeixig foc'-f 414 True Religion delineated Dis. IL ever ; yet at what Time foever any fhould commit the leafh Sin, that Soul fhould immediately fink down into an eternal Hell. Rom, 6. 23. A Thoufand Years of peri^dt Obedience, by the mere Law of Nature, not intitling to any Promife for the Time to come. God's giving and continuing Being to us, and granting us Advantages to know and love and ferve him, would render us infinitely indebted to God j but our knowing, loving and ferving God could not bring him at all into Debt to us. Rom. 11. 35, 36. Our doing fo would naturally render us happy, fo long as we fhould continue to do fo ^ but if, at any Time, we fhould be guilty of the leaft Defect, all would be loft, and we undone for ever. But then, by and according to the Conftitution with Adam^ Things v/ere placed upon another Foot. The eter- nal Welfare of Mankind was fufpended upon anotherCon- dition. For according to this Conftitution, if Adam the publick-Head and Reprefentative of Mankind, had remain- ed obedient for fome certain Period of Time, he and all his Pofterity would, by the free and gracious Promife of God, have been entitled to everlafting Life : as on the other Hand, if he finned, all would be expofed to eternal Death. But now. Faith /;/ Chriji intitles us to eternal Life, by Virtue of a new Conftitution, called the Gofpl or Covenant of Grace ^ made and confirmed by the God of Heaven. The perfect Obedience of Adam^ had he ftood, would not have intitled us to eternal Life, nctwithftanding he was our natural Head, if he had not been made our Reprefen- tative by a divine Conftitution : So the perfect Obedience and SuflTerings of Chrift would not have freed us fromCon- demnation and entitled us to eternal Life, whateverDcpen- dance we might have had upon him •, if by a divine Con- ftitution it had not been appointed and confirmed, that h that believeth jhall he faved. By and according to the Laiz) of Nature^ our own perfo- nal Obedience would have recommended us to the Favour of God, and laid the Foundation of our Happinefs, fo long as we ftiould have continued in a State of finlefsPerfedion. — By thejirji Covenant, the Conftitution with Jdam, his per- ^ - ^^^ end dijiinguipedfrom all Counterfeits. 415 fe6i: Obedience, thro' his appointed Time of Trial, would, by Virtue of that Conftitution or Covenant, have entitled us to everlafting Life. — By the fecond Covenant^ the perfedl Righteoufnefs of Chrift the fecond Adam^ entitles all true Believers to everlafting Life, by and according to this new and living Way. A perfed Righteoufnefs was neceffary according to the Law of Nature, And a perfed Righteoufnefs is infifted upon in both Covenants. According to the Law of Na- ture, it was to be performed perfonally : But according to both Covenants, it is appointed to be performed by z public Head. — According to the firft Covenant, we were to have been interefted in the Righteoufnefs of our publick Head, by Virtue of our Union to him as his Pofterity for whom he was appointed to ad. — According to the fecond Co- venant, we are interefted in the Righteoufnefs of Chrift our public Head, by Virtue of our Union to him by Faith. Cur Faith is that whereby we unite to Chrift. The Ad is a uniting A^. We difunite, feparate from and re- nounce, that^ to which,we before were united and did clofe with and placed our Hopes upon, 1;/%. our ownRighteouf- nefs ; and are no more emboldened by that to come into the Prefence of God : And we unite to Chrift, defiring to be found, not in our felves,but in him •, not in our ownRigh- teoufnefs, but in his. FhiL 3. 8, 9. And from him we take Encouragement to draw nigh to God -, we come in HIS Name. //fi'. 4. 16. And now, by Virtue of a divine Conftitution eftablilhed by the Governour of the World, all, who thus unite to Chrift by Faith, are confideredas be- ing one with him, fo as to have an Intereft in what he has done and fufFered in theCharader of a Mediator as a publick Perfon, fo as upon the Account thereof to be pardoned and received to Favour, and entitled to eternal Life. Roin, 5. 18, 19. Eph. I. 6'. Rom. 3. 24, 25. And now, this Faith, this uniting Ad, being the Cojidi- tion^ the 07tly Condition, required on our Part, by the Cove- nant of Grace, we being jujlifed by Faith ^without the Deeds of the Law •, Hence, Faith is faid to be imputed to us for Righteoufnefs. Rom. 4. For Righteoufnefs, i. e. for that = whereby '^tfiand Right according to the Tenour of the new Covenant, 4 1 6 True Religion delineated D i s . IL Covenant, i. e, for a full Comfliance with the Condition of the new Covenant. As perfed Obedience was a Compli- ance with the Covenant of Works ^ fo Faith is a Compli- ance with the Covenant of Grace. Now as perfect Obedi- ence, thro' his whole Time of Trial, would have been im- puted to Adam for Righlscufnefs^ i. e. for a/z/// Compliance with the Condition of that Covenant : So now Faith is im- puted for Right eoufncfs^ i. e. for 2ifuU Compliance with the Condition of this Covenant. For St. Paul had but juft been proving, that v/e -jixtjujiificdhy Faith aloxe, without the Deeds of the Law -, and now this being the only Con- dition required, therefore he fays, it is accounted as a full Compliance with the new Covenant, /. e. it is imputed for Right eoufnefs. It being the only Thing required as a Con- dition of Life, by the Covenant of Grace, hence it is looked upon in the Sight of God accordingly,as beinga/i«//Com- piiance with that Covenant. — The Covenant of Works in- fifled upon perfect Obedience, becaufe Adam was to have beenjuftifiea, merely by, and wholly upon the Account of, his own Virtue and Goodnefs : And theCovenant of Grace infifls uiponFaith alone without theDeeds of the L^'ze;,becaufe now we are juilified, merely by, and wholly upon the Ac- count of, Chrifl's Virtue or Righteoufnefs, without Re- gard to anyGoodnefs in us. But to him that worketh not, but helieveth on him that juftifieth the Ungodly, his Faith is counted for Righteoufnefs. Rom. 4. 5. i. e. for a full Compliance with the new Covenant, without the Deeds of the Law. For as to a legal Right eoufiiefs., Chrifl is the End cf the Law for Righteoufnefs to them that believe. Riom.10.5. And in that Senfe,we are not to be found in ourownRigh- teoufnefs, but in his. Phil. 3.8. Thus, according to the Law of Nature, every Man would have been juilified by his own perfonal Righteouf- nefs. And according to the firft Covenant, every Child of Ada?H would have been juilified by Adam's Righteoufnefs as publick Head. And according to the fecond Covenant, every Behever is to be juilified by Chriil's Righteoufnefs as another pubhck Head. The firft of thefe Ways takes k*s Rife from the Reafon and Nature of Things •, but the fecond and third from the pofitive Appointment of God. The and dtjltngutped from all Counterfeits. 417 The Angels, it feems, were dealt with according to thelirfl: of thefe Ways, only their State of Probation, thro' Grace, not to be perpetual -, for,no Doubt,thofc that flood, are now in a confirmed State : but Mankind are dealt with accor- ding to the fccond and third. The firft of thefe Ways a fallen World pretend fomt liking to, but the other two have given great Offence. " How is it right we fhould be condenaned for Adam's Sin ? *' Or with what Propriety can we be juftified on the Ac- " count of Chrift's Righteoufnefs ?" is the Language of very many. " It is unjuft to condemn me for the Sin of " another, and abfurd to juftify me for another's Righte- oufnefs," fay they. And as to the fiirfl of thefe Ways,they would have the Law abated in what it requires, and quite difannul'd as to it's threatening Death for the leaft Sin. They would have what they call fincere Obedience admit- ted as a Condition of Life, and Repentance to be accepted in Cafe of Sin. So that an apoftate World are naturally equally at Enmity againft the firft, fecond and third, right- ly underftood. For they think it full as unjuft that God fhould damn us for the leaft Dcfedl of perfedl Obedience, as for Adam's firft Sin. And it is nothing but divineLight can bring the Heart of a Sinner fincerely to approve of the Law of Nature, of the Conftitution with Adam^ and of the Gofpel of Chrift. For (i Cor. 2. 14.; the natural Man receiveth not the Things of the Spirit of God : for they are Foolifhnefs unto him j neither can he know them^ becaufe they are fpiritually difcerned. He does not difcern the Ground and Reafon of the Law of Nature, being Wind to the infi- nite Beauty of the divine Perfedlions : and fo is incapaci- tated to have a right View and Senfe of the Nature of the iirft Covenant or the fecond. And being a Stranger and an Enemy to God, he alfo naturally doubts, whether he has full Power and rightful Authority to make fuch Con- ftitutions ; he diflikes theConftitutions ; he queftions God*S Authority to make fuch j their being fo plainly held forth in theBible,tempts many to call even theTruth of that into Queftion ; and fome are driven qidite to open Infidelity. There is a fecret Infidelity in the Hearts of unregeneratc Men. They do not love that divine Scheme of Truths re- E e vealed 41 8 True Religion delineated Dis. 11. "Sealed in the Bible, nor cordially receive it for true. Men love to cut out a Scheme of Religion in their Heads, to fuiu the Temper of their Hearts. And from this Root do all the falfe and erroneous Principles, which fill the Chriftian World, originally take their Rife. 2 Tbef. 2. 10, II, 12. But when he that commanded the Light to fhine out of Darknefs, Ihines in the Heart and gives fpiritual Light ; then the Reafonablenefs, Beauty and Glory of the whole Scheme appear, and the very Refemblance of the divine Perfections is to be feen in every Branch of it. And now it is cordially believed. "Job, 8. 47. And hereby a folid Foundation is laid for a real Conformity to the Law, and a genuine Compliance with the Gofpel \ in both which true Religion does confift. Thus we have gone thro' what was propofed. And wc fee why God the great Governour of the World did confi- der Mankind as periJJjing^ fallen, finful, guilty, juftly con- demned, heiplefs and undone : and we fee that his Defign of Mercy originally took it's Rife from the meer felf-mov- ing Goodnefs of his Nature, and fovereign good Pleafure : and we fee the NecelTity there was of a Mediator, and how the Way of Life has been opened by him whom God has provided : And wc fee wherein a genuineCompliance with the Gofpel does confift, and the Nature of a true Faith in Chrift : And we fee what is implied in the everlafting Life that is promifed to Believers, and how Faith interefts us in the Promife, and how that die Covenant is in all Things well ordered and fure. — And now there is a wide Field opened for a la^-ge Improvemxnt, in many dodlrinal and pradical Inferences and Remarks. For, ■ I. It is very natural to make the fame Obfervations here with Regard to a genuine Compliance with the Gofpel^ as were before made with Refpe61: to a real Conformity to the Law. For, from what has been faid, we may eafily fee, wherein confifts thatLife of Faith in Chrift, which true Be- lievers live ^ — That all unregenerateMcn are entirely dcftitute of this true Faith in Chrift ; — Yea, diametrically oppofite thereunto in the Temper of their Minds ^ — And therefore can't be brought to it but by the almighty Power and all-. conquering and dijiinguijhedfrom all Counterfeits. 415 conquering Grace of God ♦, — That there is nothing in them to move God to do this for therra, but every Thing to the contrary — That God is at perfeft Liberty to have Mercy on whom he will according to his fovereign Plea- fure — That it is reafonable to think, that the fame fove- reign good Pleafure, which moves him to be the Author, will move him to be the Finifher of our Faith — That true Faith, being thus fpecincally different from every Counter- feit, may therefore be difcerned and known, &c. But be- caufe I have already been Larger than at firfl I defigned, therefore I will omit thefe, and all other Remarks which might be made •, and will conclude, - ^ 2. With only this one Obfervation, viz. That if thefe Things be true, which have been faid concerning the Na- ture of Faith and the Way of Salvation by free Grace thro' Chrift, and concerning that View of Things which the trueBeliever has ; then nothing is more plain and evident, than that the true Believer muft needs feel himfelf to be under the ilrongeil Obligations poflible, to an entire De- "votednefs to GOD and a Life of univerfal Holinefs. Every Thing meets, in that View of Things which he has, to bind his Soul for ever to the Lord. One main Defign of the Gofpel was to make Men holy •, and it is in it's Na- ture perfediy well adapted to anfwer the End. For now all the natural Obligations, we are under to love God and live to him, are feen in a divineLight ; fuch as arife from the infinite Excellency of the divine Nature, God's entire Right to us andAuthority over us : And their binding Nature is exhibited in a more ftriking and affed- ing Manner in the Gofpel, than in the Law ; the Crofs of Chrift gives a more lively Reprefentation of the infinite Evil of Sin, than all the Thunders of Mount Sinai, And a Sight of our naturalObligations are attended with aSenfe' of all the additional facred Ties, arifing from the infinite Goodnefs of God to a guilty ruined World in providing- a Saviour, and from the dying Love of Chrift, and from', the free Gift of converting Grace, and from pardoning; Mercy, and from God's Covenant-Love and Faithfulnef?; and from the raifed Expedations of eternal Glory :'Aiif which muft join to beget a right S^nk of Sia, • as beirV^-^i^ 4.2Q Trm Religion delineated Dis. 11. Thing, in it felf, the moft unfit, unreafonable and wicked, as well as infinitely difingenuous and ungrateful to God, and concur to make it appear as the worft of Evils, the mofi to be hated, dreaded, watched and prayed againft. And a humble Heart, full of Self-Diffidence, and under a Senfe of the divine All-fufficience, and in a firm Belief of the Truth of theGofpel, will moft naturally, and as it were continually, apply it felf, by Faith and Prayer, to God thro' Chrift, to be kept from all Sin, and to be preferved to the heavenly Kingdom. So that thofe Views, which the true Believer has, have tlie ftrongeft Tendency to univer- fal Holinefs, and do naturally lay a folid Foundation for it. And thofeViews are not only maintained in a greater or lefs Degree from Day to Day, by the gracious Influence of the holy Spirit, which dwells in them ; but are increafing and brightening thro' the Courfe of their Lives. So that as the grand Defign of the Gofpel is to make Men holy, fo it is perfedly well adapted in it's Nature to anfwer the End. And therefore be that is horn of Gcd^ftnneth not -, and how jhall we that are dead to Sin, live any longer therein ? And fuch like Scriptures, muft, in the Nature of Things, be found to be true, in the Experience of every real Believer. Nor can any but gracelefs Hypocrites be emboldened, by the Doctrines of tree Grace, to fin, as it were upon free Coft : and a double Vengeance will they puM down upon their guilty Heads. B^icuiarly,the wholeFrame & Tenour of theGofpel na- turally tends to excite us to a univerfal Benevolence to Man- kind in Imitation of the infinite Goodnefs of the divine Nature •, and even to be benevolent & kind to the Evil and Unthankful, & to thofe in whom there is no Motive to ex- cite-our goodwill, but much to tlie contrary ; and to love our Enemies, and blefs them that curfc us, and do Good to them that hate us, and pray for them that defpitefully ufcus and perfecutc us. It is impollible when we fee the infinite Beauty of the felf-moving Goodnefs of the divine Nature as exercifcd in the whole Afiiair of ourRedemption and Salvation, towards Creatures fo infinitely vile, unwor- thy and ill-ckfcrving, but that we fliould love that glori- ous GoodneCi, angl. hn chan<^d intp tl\e fame Image, and have and difitnguijhed from all Counterfeits. 421 have it become natural to us to love Enemies, and forgive Injuries, and be like God. A malicious Chriftian^ 2. fpight- fid Believer^ is the greatefl: Contradiction, and the moft un- natural Thing. That which has had no fmall Hand in bringing theDoc- trines of Grace into Contempt in the World, as tending to JLicentioufnefs, is partly becaufe they have not been rightly undexflood, and partly thro^ the wicked Lives of gracelcfs Hypocrites, who have made a high ProfefTion. What re- mains now therefore but that the People of God, by holy and exemplary Lives, fhould convince the Worki,thatthefe are Do£irines according to Godlinefs. J befeech you therefore by the Mercies of God^ that ye pre- fent your Selves a living Sacrifice^ holy and acceptable to Gody which is your reafonable Service. For you are not your own^ hut bought with a 'Price : And that not of Silver and Gold, but of the precious Blood of the Son of God j and therefore live no more to your Selves^ but to him that died for you. And be ye Followers of God as dear Children. Bleffed be God^ for the unfpeakabk Gift of his Son, Amen. FINIS. THE Contents of th^firft Difcourfe. CT^Rue Religion confijis in a Confor- -^ mity to the Law and Compliance njcith the Gofpel. Fage I ^he Law requires us to Love God j^ with all our Hearts, and our Neighbour as our felves. 2 Lonse to God implies right Appre- henfions of him y afida Senfe of his Amiablenefs. 3 7hat nve elleem him, fo as to exult in his Supremacy. 7 ^0 2i6iit(s. 99 Which Badnefs nve are ^voluntary in. 104 There is no Reafon nxihy the Law flyould be dhzXtA. 108 We are nvhoUy to blame for not perfedUy conforming to it. 1 10 Even the Heathen are without Excufe. 114 Much more inexcufable are thofe nx:ho enjoy the Benefit of di'vine Revelation. 1 2 1 GOD is mider no natural Obligati- ons, to grant fupernatural Ad- vantages to any of the Children of Men. 127 And may therefore aB fovereignly in doing fo. 128 Love to our Neighbour im- plies Elleem. 1 3 1 Benevolence. 133 And Delight. ibid. And is in ifs oivn Nature right and ^^' . . ^ . '34 And enjoined by the Authority of God. 136 ^/z^ recommended by the Example of God, in the Exercifes of his in" finite Goodneff to^vards the Children of Men, ibid. ArJ The CONTENTS. And ought, to be regulated agreahly to a true Self-love. 1 37 Afid is ahvays attended i.':ith true Lonje to God. 139 // is a Thing different from na- tural Compaflion. 140 From good Humour. ihiJ. From natural Affeftion. ibid. From Party-fpirited Lo^ve. 141 From any Lo^je nvhatfocnjcr^ that arijcs merely from Self-love. 142 And from the Lcve njjhich Enthufi- afts and Hereticks ha've to one another. 143 — Loj in Force ? 70 Can a Man, merely from Self-love, lo<-je God more than himfelf /^ 9 3 Is our Impotency only moral ? 94 Are nx:e to Blame for cur fpiritual Blindnefs ? 99 Cr far our corrupt Nature ? 103 What is it that brings awakened Sinners to take all the Blame to themfelves, ^ juftifyGOD ? 1 10 Do true Believers feel themfehes fvjhclly to Blame for not being per- feaiy holy ?^ III Does God's witholding the fojifli- fying hifucnces of his holy Spirit leffen cur Blame <' 1 1 3 Why does the Scripture, in feme Places, fpcak of the external Ad- tfantagej of Gods 'vifible People, as ieingmOTc than barely (uihdentfcr their becoming good Men,^ as the* their Fonuer nj^as fufficient, altho the fan£lifying Infuences of the Holy Spirit nuere ivitheld from them? X2I What is corrupt Nature ? 153 Is it natural, or contra«^ed ? 154 Are the Unregenerate intirely un- der the Gonjernment of it ? 156 Wherein does the Sinfulnefs of it confiji ? 157 Why do7it Mankifid fee the Sin- fulnefs of it ? 161 Do all adlual Si?is proceed from it? 163 Why are Sinners fo averfe to the true Knowledge of God, and fo blind to his Beauty P 1 66 What is the Nature of retraining Grace ? * 168 How came our Nature to be cor- rupted ? 171 What Gooddoesitdo for Sinners /^ifMeans of Grace ? 178,381. What is the fhorteft and eafieft Me- thod to bring the 7nain Contro'ver- fes betrMcen Arminians ^?7.'^ Cal- vinifls to a fnal Ifjue ? 193,207 Ho^jj is the DoHrine of Perfeve- rance confifent ^^ lefs to Blame. 281 Or from any Expe^ation that ive Jhould, of our o^xvn free Accord, fo much as heartily thank him for it. 284 But intirely from his own Self- moving Goodnefs^y^f^ and foj- Faith. 388 // rcfu Its from divine Light. 389 Which lays a Foundation for a fuper- natural ^elMofthe Gofpel. ibid. Regeneration, Faith, Repentance and Con Ev. Mr.DavidYoungs,Lo;^^-i^^;/^, New-Tork. 3 Books. Anthony Yolverton, Efq-, •- New-TorL N. B. i/^ there Jhould be any of the Names in the foregoing Lift without their proper 'Titles^ wrong fpelt^ or Places of Abode not right infertedy we defire to be excufed, "^And as on a careful revifal of the foregoing Pages we have not cbferved any material Errata^ except a few Literals^ we hope the candid Reader will excufe the fame ♦, efpecially conftdering the Author'' s Diftance from the Prefs^ andfo had not the Advantage of his PerufaL ifi^^ililililllllilil^llil^ am^lrhk: .ILlSiLJ^r- ^■:¥: iif^l^ .^.>: ^^: Jfi. ..'^ !M tx •■ '<: ?j :}T.'^^j :#' :r